Inner Child
by Terra3
Summary: How do I summarize this monster? Zel finally decides to end it all when a mysterious visitor makes him a strange offer. Now, it's up to the others to save the Zelgadis they know.
1. Innocence

Inner Child  
Written by Terra  
  
All Slayers characters belong to the guy who made them up. I don't know his name. In short, I didn't make them up. Don't sue   
me.  
  
Chapter One: Innocence  
  
Zelgadis sat at the mahogany work table that was in his room at the inn in the middle of nowhere. Not that he was   
thinking about that. He sat at that table, the room lit by one candle. Not that he really needed it.  
Ever since... that.  
It never occurred to him, before that night, how much he was like... him.  
The Mighty Red Sage. The Blind Rezo. Who fought and worked all his life for a chance to see the world he had been   
born into. When he finally succeeded, he was beyond sanity and died within a few seconds.  
And it was happening to him. Just like that. Hell, maybe Ruby Eye was in him also, waiting. Just waiting. He was also  
going mad by this short coming.   
"It hurts," he whispered to no one, "if I get it, I know I still wouldn't be happy. It won't be any different."  
So, that was why he was writing a note to his friends. A suicide note. It was only polite. It wasn't their fault his  
life sucked. It wasn't even Rezo's fault. It was all him, in the end.  
"To whom it may concern,  
After many sleepless nights, I have now realised that I have nothing to gain or lose if I continue wandering  
this mortal coil. I wish for sleep. I wish for rest. So, leaving this place that we call 'Life', will grant my wishes. To   
sleep and to dream. I'm not dying, I'm going to bed after a long and tiring day.   
Do not weep, for I'm only sleeping. I will finally rest.  
I thank you for your kindness and easing my long day but you can only do so much for me.   
  
My regrets,  
Zelgadis"  
  
He looked at his note. He sighed and realised that he had said enough. He rose and slipped the note under his   
friends' door. He smiled.   
"Good night," he said to the door, "Sweet dreams." He went to his room and sat down on the chair in front of the   
desk. He took out the poison and smiled. It would be painless. Maybe a jolt but nothing more. But it would kill... wait, let   
him sleep at last. He raised the bottle to his lips...  
"Now, that isn't the way to do it," a woman's voice said.  
He whipped around. The voice belonged to... his mother. She had been dead for 15 years. After 3 years of sickness.   
When he was nine years old.  
She appeared as she did when she had been living but not ill. She wore a small smile.  
"Well, what is the way to do it?" Zel asked her.  
"You should die with peace, not angst."  
"There's nothing left."  
"Oh? Is that so?"  
"Mother," he sighed, "you've been dead too long. Life is hard. Death is easy."  
"I remember Life. I remember grief and pain. But I also remember happiness and a little boy, whom no one could   
understand, laughing at a bird. What happened to that little boy?"  
"He grew up, Mother, he grew up."  
"But you are still that little boy, Zel, you are still..."  
"I am a MAN!" Zel screamed, "A grown man, who is tired and sad and lonely. I am a grown man who is stuck with the   
body of seventeen year old boy, sculpted by stone. By the man whom he trusted and loved. By the man who didn't even save his   
own daughter-in-law when she had been ill for three years," he sighed, "I am a man just like him."  
"Oh, dear. No one said you had to die like him."  
"Death will come. Why fight?"  
"Good question. But, what if I could make the pain go away?"  
A bitter laugh, "Heh, I'm doing that already."  
"No, I'll take the pain but not your life."  
He guffawed, "That's impossible. I must be crazy. I'm arguing with a dead woman! You're in my head!"  
"You know that's a lie. You could always see me. You have a gift." She looked at him with determination, "I won't   
waste that."  
He threw up his hands, "Fine, fine, what the hell. I got nothing better to do!"  
"Stand up."  
  
*** ***  
  
"Hey, Miss Lina, wake up," Amelia whispered, shaking her red-headed friend.  
"Wha... Amelia?! What do you want?" Lina grumbled.  
"I heard Mister Zelgadis screaming."  
"So, he's having the Rezo dream again. Let me sleep."  
"I don't think so, let's go check on him."  
Lina sighed and got up while Amelia shook Gourry. Lina opened the door to their room and stepped on something. She   
bent down and picked up the paper. She cast a Light spell and read the note.  
"Holy... he's going to kill himself! We have to stop him!" Gourry immediately bolted out of bed.  
"Who is?"  
"The inn keeper... who do you think? Zel, Jellyfish brains!"   
"He can't be serious!" Amelia squeaked.  
"Well, either that or he wants to win an award for poetic letters. Hey, he used some stuff from that play you were   
telling us about. What was it? Baconlet? Porklet?"  
"Who cares! We have to help him!" Amelia screamed.  
  
*** ***  
  
"I will return your innocence, Zelgadis."  
"Will it take away the pain?"  
"When you were innocent, the biggest pain was scraping your knee."  
"I guess that's a 'yes'."  
"Are you ready?"  
"Born ready, Mother."  
  
*** ***  
  
Zel's friends were rushing to the door. Gourry began to try knocking the door down with his weight with Lina pushing the   
area his body missed. After much banging and sweat, Amelia turned the knob and replied, "Uh... the door's unlocked."  
"Oh. Right."  
  
*** ***  
  
"Zelgadis, ignore them for now," his mother replied at his head turning toward the door when Gourry banged it, "look  
at me." Zelgadis looked at up at his mother. "Close your eyes." He closed them. His mother smiled.  
  
*** ***  
  
Lina and company rushed in the door. They faced a tall woman in an almost transparent white robe. She had long   
purple hair that fell freely. She looked at them with blue eyes that mimicked Zel's. She smiled and shrugged and faced Zel   
once again.  
"Uh... who are...?" But Lina never got to finish her statement. The woman bent down and kissed the young man on the   
lips. Zel's eyes fluttered briefly before the woman rose again.   
As she rose, her hair shifted to blonde and her eyes glittered a bright green. She smiled and, instantly, large white  
wings burst out. She looked at the mirror.   
In the mirror was the woman she was before. Screaming a horrified silent scream. She smirked at the reflection and   
said, "You can't protect him forever." The reflection screamed with more intensity but just as silent. Tears ran down her   
cheeks.  
Zel slumped and the woman dropped him. As he dropped, his stone skin became human flesh. Then he became younger and   
younger until, when he hit the floor, he had the appearance of a six year old boy.  
The others just stared in shock, at the winged woman, the silent screamer and their now young friend.  
The woman bent down on her knees and kissed the boy's forehead, "I'll see you soon, my Prince." Then she was gone.  
  
To be continued...  
  
C&C at destinyplot@lycos.com  
  



	2. Babble

Chapter Two: Babble  
  
After the woman had left, the others went over to the boy's side.  
"Is he... alive?" Amelia timidly asked.  
"I think he's breathing," Lina answered.  
"Uh... where did this boy come from? And where did Zel go?"  
Lina prompted bonked him on the head, "That IS Zel! I think." She put the little boy in her lap and stroked his hair.  
"What are we going to tell him?" Amelia asked nervously.  
"I guess we could say, 'Good Morning, would you like some toast? Oh by the way, you are now six years old!'" Gourry   
answered.  
"Mister Gourry, that's cruel!"  
"Gourry's got a point, what can we say?" Lina mused.  
  
*** ***  
  
Red. Lots of it. In his face, in his mouth, everywhere. Zel moved his head around to avoid the red mass but more just fell   
in his mouth. Finally, he just yanked it out of his way.  
  
*** ***  
  
"Ow! Let go!" Lina shrieked. She looked down at the now awake boy. He blinked at her and answered simply, "Der."  
"What?"  
"Der," he repeated, yanked her hair more.  
"Stop pulling my hair!" Lina sat up straight so the boy could not touch it. He pointed at her hair and   
repeated, "Der!"  
"What are you saying?!" Lina screamed in frustration.  
"Amam ym si erehw?" He asked.  
"Come again?"  
"Amam ym si erehw?!"  
Lina turned to her two friends, "Do you guys understand him?"  
"Not a word."  
"I've never heard that language."  
"Amam ym tnaw i!" The boy cried. He began to sob.  
"You know," Gourry mused, "he never told us where he was from."  
"So, he had to learn our language?!" Lina screamed.  
"Does he understand us?" Amelia wondered aloud.  
"I don't know! Not only has our friend been turned into a little kid, he's speaking his native language! Now what   
are we going to do?" Lina groaned. The little boy got out of Lina's lap and went to cower in a dark corner, his eyes darting   
back and forth among these "strangers".  
"I think he's scared of us," Gourry whispered. Amelia got on her knees and beckoned in a soft voice, "Come on out,   
we're not going to hurt you. Come on." She held out her hand for him to take. He didn't take it. Lina sighed and just went   
over and picked him up.  
"No! You'll just..." Gourry warned just as Zel bit Lina's arm. Lina screamed and Zel dashed to hide under the work   
table.  
"He's like a wild animal!" Lina scolded.  
"I was going to say, you'll just frighten him more," Gourry murmured.  
"How will we get him out?" Amelia whined. Gourry stood up sharply.  
"Where are you going?" Lina demanded, rubbing her arm.  
"I have an idea. I'll be back." So, Gourry went out the door, leaving Lina and Amelia to stare at each other.  
"So, what do we do until he comes back?" Amelia asked.  
"Think of a plan to get him out," Lina responded.  
"But, Mister Gourry said he had an idea!"  
"Look, first off, it's Gourry. Second, he's a guy. What does he know about children?"  
"Well, what do you know about children?"  
"I'm a girl, it's in-bred. We have to use our mothering instincts."  
"What 'mothering instincts'? And how do we use them?"  
Lina blinked and answered slowly, "Well, I guess, we... think like mothers."   
Amelia shrugged, "I guess we should make ourselves 'believe' we are mothers, and then the instincts will come."  
"Sounds like a plan." Lina and Amelia closed their eyes and got in the role of being a mother.  
"I have mood swings," Lina said to herself.  
"I have cravings," Amelia whispered.  
"I have morning sickness."  
"My clothes don't fit."  
"I'm proud of being fat."  
"My body parts have become food sources."  
"I sing lullabies."  
"I don't bathe."  
"I don't sleep."  
"I tell bedtime stories."  
"I'm back," Gourry said as he came in, "Uh... what are you doing?"  
"Shh... I'm putting them to bed," Lina responded.  
"What?"  
"I'm baking cookies," Amelia replied. Gourry blinked a couple times then shook Lina. Lina coughed and looked   
around, "Huh? What?" Gourry then shook Amelia and she reacted the same.  
"What were you two doing?"  
"Trying to tap in our mothering instincts. Did yours come, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked calmly.  
"No, you?"  
"Nah, maybe we have to do it longer."  
"Uh, okay. I'm ready so if you want to keep doing whatever it was that you were doing, then do it over there, I need  
room," Gourry ordered, completely baffled.  
"What are you going to do anyway?" Lina asked, moving over.  
"You'll see," Gourry answered, holding up a bag.  
"What's in the bag?" Amelia asked.  
Gourry smiled and answered, a bit loud, "Candy." Then they heard a bonk from under the table and Zel letting out a little   
sound of pain. Gourry smiled and bent down in front of the table. He opened the bag and placed down a little piece of   
chocolate. Zel swiped it in a blink. Gourry did the same and Zel reacted the same. Gourry chuckled and took out another   
piece. He held it up, so he would have Zel's attention, and took an little step back and placed the chocolate right by his   
toe. Just out of Zel's reach. Gourry took another step back and placed another piece down. Then another. And another. And   
another until he was near the two girls. Then he straightened and went to sit on the bed.  
"Oh, I get it, he has to get out from under the table to get more candy," Lina reasoned, "Funny, my sister used to   
do the same thing."  
"He'll surely crack. He won't be able to resist for long. We just have to be patient," Gourry said, quite proud of   
himself.  
"Either that, or he'll eventually fall asleep," Amelia added.  
  
*** ***  
  
Oh, the big guy was clever. Eris does this trick too! He was big boy, he'd show them! He'll resist! Sure, the odds were bad   
but he could do it, he was big boy. Eventually, those big people will get bored and then he'll have his chance. If he   
survived that long. Oh, who was he kidding? This was torture! He stretched out his arm to reach the chocolate. He was just   
a few centimeters away. Then he thought of a plan.  
  
*** ***  
  
"Uh... isn't this a little cruel?" Amelia asked.  
"Well, it serves him right, biting my arm like that!" Lina retorted.  
"Oh, look, he's stretching his arm out, it's cute," Gourry said aloud.  
"What's he doing now?" Lina asked.  
"I don't know, he went back under the table. I think he's positioning himself."  
"How? To do what?" Amelia inquired. Although she thought the treatment was cruel, she still thought it was   
fascinating. See, she knew that Zel had to use reasoning to get out of this mess. Brawn didn't matter, he would need to   
depend on his brain.   
She was on the opposite side of him, but she secretly hoped he would outsmart them. She was often in his position   
when she was younger.  
"Those stupid maids," Amelia murmured.  
"What?" Lina asked.  
"Nothing."  
  
*** ***  
Okay, he was ready to execute "Operation: Get-The-Candy-Without-Getting-Caught-By-The-Big-Scary-Guy"!   
He faced the wall on his belly. See, he knew that his legs were longer than his arms so he would use his feet to get  
the candy. He scooted out backwards, constantly looking behind him. When the chocolate was in his reach, he kicked the   
chocolate to a place where he could reach it. He then escaped under the table.  
  
*** ***  
  
"That was kind of cool," Gourry said. The others murmured their agreement. "But, unfortunately, he can't do that   
again because the next piece is too far away. He'll have to come out."  
"But how do you know he'll want the next piece?" Amelia asked.  
"He's a kid, he'll eat it," Lina snapped.  
"So? Maybe he's full."  
"Like that matters to a kid."  
"It mattered to me!"  
"You were a high class princess! Of course you cared, you had to."  
"What does that mean? I was never a kid?!"  
"Don't you mean 'I am not a kid'?"  
"I am not a child!"  
"Guys," Gourry pleaded, "cut it out. If you two get distracted and start killing each other, I'll have to break it   
up and he'll outwit us." He turned that over in his head, "I'll get distracted and he'll come out. Hm... I could use that   
against him."  
"What was that?" Lina asked. Gourry smiled at her. "What? What do you want?" She asked nervously. Gourry pointed at   
the window behind her, "Look out the window!"  
They turned toward the window, expecting to see some unknown Dark Lord staring back at them. But there was nothing.  
"Look, it's dawn, we've only slept two hours," Amelia sobbed, "I guess I understand what a real mother feels like."  
"What? The dawn was the big emergency?! I've seen a dawn before!" Lina started to turn to face Gourry but Gourry   
screamed, "No, keep looking at the window!"  
"Why are we looking out the window? Shouldn't we be watching Mister Zelgadis.... or would he be Master Zelgadis? I   
mean, young men are referred to as 'Master' not 'Mister', aren't they?" Amelia clutched her head, "AAAA!!! How could I   
commit such a faux pas? I'm going to kill myself!" Lina slapped her across the face.  
"You okay now?"  
"Yeah, thanks. I needed that. I get like that when I don't sleep."  
"I understand, Amelia, it's okay," Lina patted her on the shoulder.  
"It's okay, you can sleep later," Gourry comforted then changed gears, "But for now, you must watch the window!"  
"Gourry, why are we watching the window?"  
"Well, isn't it obvious? Watching Zel is very, very boring but watching the window is fun, Fun, FUN!"  
"Are you two on something? You didn't buy the 'Dream Tea' from that weirdo in the last town, did you? I'm here to   
help."  
At first, Amelia was going to argue that Gourry has the weirdest taste and really should get back to the matter at   
hand. Until she realized that he was handling the matter at hand. Amelia took a breath, "Yeah, you're right, Master Zelgadis  
is very, very boring. This window provides hours of entertainment, right Miss Lina?"  
Of course, Lina had not figured out Gourry's plan, "No, I disagree. This is boring."  
"No, it isn't," Amelia retorted.  
"Yes, it is." Lina snapped back.  
While those two fought, Gourry looked at Zel out of the corner of his eye. See, kids are very stupid. To them, if you're not  
looking straight at them, you're ignoring them. His plan was to make it look like that they were ignoring Zel (by looking at  
the window) and he would be over confident and crawl out, not realizing that Gourry wasn't really ignoring him. As soon as he  
got close, he would grab him. Assuming that Zel was a normal child, not some hyper genius who was wise beyond his years. But,  
from what he had observed, it was unlikely.  
  
*** ***  
  
What luck! Red, Big Guy and Lady* were completely ignoring him, they were totally entranced by the window. Adults are weird.  
He crawled out of his little shelter and ate the next piece of chocolate. He looked up. Nope, no one was watching. He crawled  
forward for the next piece. No movement in the Adults. He ate it.   
"You sneaky dog you. Brian eat your card out**"  
  
*** ***  
"Come on, come on, a little closer," Gourry thought. Zel crawled oh so slowly nearer. "Come on! Pick up the pace, I'm  
getting eye strain." Then, there he was, right under his arm. He turned like a cobra and Zel was paralyzed with fear.   
  
*** ***  
  
BUSTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
*** ***  
  
Gourry lifted Zel up like a sack of feathers while Zel screamed and kicked for his life.  
"Og em tel!"  
"Whatever. Playtime's over." Then Zel stopped kicking and screaming. He looked Gourry straight in the eye then his bottom lip  
shook and his eyes filled up with tears as he made his one final plea, "Em truh ton od esaelp. AMAM YM TNAW TSUJ I!!!!!"   
Gourry frowned and drew Zel close, resting his little frail body on his shoulder, rubbing his back while he slightly rocked   
back and forth. Then he began to sing:  
  
In the ocean,  
there's a little fish.  
Tomorrow, maybe,  
he'll be a little dish.  
But he isn't scared  
of tomorrow.  
Tonight all his little friends   
dance in a row.  
All the little fishes  
and also the big ones,  
all the mothers and fathers  
and daughters and sons.  
They dance in the big row  
all through the night  
and they'll invite you too  
if you sleep tight.  
  
He repeated this little ditty over and over until Zel calmed down. When he did finally did stop, Gourry could hear   
Zel almost start up again so he sang the song again. Over and over until...  
"Gourry, he's asleep," Lina whispered.  
"Mister Gourry, why don't you put him down?" Amelia asked when Gourry didn't move.  
"I'm afraid I'll wake him up."  
"How did you do that?" Lina demanded.  
"Do what?"  
"Everything!"  
"Well," Gourry stated matter-of-factly, "I just know more than you two."  
"Oh, is that true?" Lina asked, "Hey! What happens when you pinch his neck like...."  
"Okay, I take it back! Just don't pinch him."  
"Well, how did you think of those things?" Amelia asked.  
"When I was back home, my town, during the summer, would have a cook out every week at a different house. They all   
needed someone to watch their kids while they got drunk out of their minds so I would usually do it. I had a little girl   
once who sort of acted like Zel does. She was just really shy and stuff. The bigger kids would tease her a lot so she would   
always be hiding in the houses. The chocolate trick always seemed to work on her."  
Lina giggled, "You... baby-sat?!"  
"Yeah, I baby-sat. What's wrong with that?"  
"Guys don't baby-sit, Gourry."  
"Any guy would baby-sit if they made what I made."  
"How much?"  
"On average... about 12 golds a night."  
"A NIGHT! How did you get that?"  
"Simple, I asked for payment AFTER they got drunk. 'How do we oweth ya?' 'Uh, about 15 silver would good but 20   
silver would be better...' 'Charlesth give the kided 25 silverths, I'm getting another drinkth for the roaded.'"  
"You robber!" Lina laughed.  
"I know, they never figured it out. It was really funny when they forgot they paid me and would come back the next   
day asking how much they owe. So, they all thought I baby-sat for only 1 silver. They all loved me. 'He's such a good boy,   
what a work ethic' and I'd be in my room, laughing my head off. Those were good times."  
"12 golds a night! I can't even imagine it!" Lina said, shaking her head in disbelief.  
"Anyway, Miss Lina, what should we do now?"  
"Sleep sounds good."  
"No, I mean, what should we do about Master Zelgadis?"  
"Oh that. I almost forgot. Well, it's obvious, isn't it? We have to find people from his native country so we can   
understand what the hell he is saying!" Lina answered simply.  
"And probably find his next of kin, I mean, I certainly don't know how to make Zel normal again so it would probably   
be best to leave him with his family so he'll be taken care of."  
"Sounds like a plan, we'll start tomorrow." And all promptly passed out from exhaustion.  
  
To be continued...  
  
C&C are welcome and needed. Send them to destinyplot@lycos.com   
  
*- Red, Big Guy and Lady are Lina, Gourry and Amelia. In case you didn't figure it out, Zel can't remember who Lina, Gourry   
and Amelia are. He will use these names throughout the rest of this fic.  
  
**- No, this is not a typo. Little kids often don't understand little sayings so they often repeat them incorrectly. He   
means, "Eat your heart out."  



	3. Peacemaking

Chapter Three: Peacemaking  
  
The dawn came and went. It was a very pretty dawn like every other dawn but it was a dawn that Lina, Gourry, Amelia   
and Zel missed.  
Around ten o'clock, Zel stirred. Actually "stirred" is an understatement. He took exactly 1.234567 seconds to open   
his eyes, rub his eyes, yawn and spring out of bed. When he was sprung, he looked around.  
"Oh, it wasn't a dream," he thought. He was still in this strange place with Papa and Mama nowhere in sight. He   
looked at the strangers.   
Big Guy was snoring and his arm was dangling off the bed. He was laying on his back and his tongue was hanging out.   
Red had her right arm draped over Big Guy's upper chest area with her left arm holding the pillow. She was drooling. Lady was   
curled up in a fetal position and murmured words in her sleep, usually "Justice", "Victory", "Evil-doer" and "Zelgadis".  
Zel actually jumped whenever she said his name, thinking she was awake. Sure, Big Guy could sing a song but that   
didn't mean they weren't strangers. And who knew what evil plots they had in store for him.   
And he wanted his Mama!  
His mama had magic and stuff. She'd... do that spell... that has something to do... with... that guy... with the all  
the siblings... no, wait, he was split into... seven?... yeah... that sounded good... parts.  
WHATEVER! It didn't matter. She would do it and they would... not be here any more. Or something.  
He sighed. He felt so alone. He didn't even have any of his friends. Brian would've thought of something by now. Or   
maybe Michelle, she's really smart.  
But no one was here. He was on a solo mission. Against the enemy. Who couldn't understand a word he was saying. He   
sighed.   
He looked at the bed again. Everyone was out of order. It was so untidy! He had to fix it. It was bugging him. He   
crawled on to the bed. He moved Big Guy's arm so it didn't dangle. He flipped it over so that the arm was resting along his   
chest. Unfortunately for Big Guy, his arm was so long that his arm rested on Red's chest also.   
Zel didn't give it a second thought.  
He moved Red's left arm from its original position and placed it under Big Guy's neck. Then he placed her legs   
between Big Guy's legs, which he had also straightened.  
He got off the bed to admire his work. But something wasn't right.  
Ah! The heads. Total disorder. It's the finer details that can kill you in the end, that's what Grandpapa always   
said! He wouldn't let this finer detail slide.  
He hopped on the bed again and then adjusted the heads. He shut Red's mouth and placed her head on Big Guy's chest.   
Second, he shut Big Guy's mouth. Next, he flipped Big Guy's head over so he faced Lady and Red. Unfortunately, Big Guy's   
lips touched Red's scalp.   
Zel thought nothing of it.  
Pleased with his work, he sat at the work table. It was covered with papers and ink. He decided to doodle.  
  
*** ***  
  
It was 11 o'clock and none of the travelers had checked out. Mrs. Applebaggus wouldn't stand for this. This counted   
as another day.   
"Those stupid ragamuffins, trying to cheat me out of house and home! They think they don't have to pay for an extra   
day, ha! Who's first?" She looked at her guest book, "Zelgadis Greywords. By Cephied, why can't kids have normal names like   
in the old days? Why, it's not a name, it's a bunch of letters! His parents should've never bred! I bet he just like them,   
my goodness, what a ghastly creature. He should be locked up..."  
Okay, I'm not going to bore you to death with her rant. Mrs. Applebaggus was a sad woman, because of which her dear   
Mr. Applebaggus having left the mortal plane not too long ago. Besides, her rant would take an entire chapter on itself so I   
cut to the ending.  
"... And if I was a princess, I wouldn't wear my hair like that, no siree, kids these days, when I was her age, I   
was... Oh, here's his room." She knocked on Zel's room door.  
  
*** ***  
  
Zel heard the knocking. He wondered if he should answer it, since he wasn't allowed at home. "Only adults answer the   
door," they always said. He looked at his respective adults. Big Guy snored, Red drooled and Lady murmured in response.  
She knocked again and called, "Mr. Greywords! Mr. Zelgadis Greywords! I need to discuss your bill!" Hm... she was   
calling him. Is it alright to answer the door if the knocker is specially calling for you?  
He decided it was alright. He went up to the door... then realized that he was too short to reach to the knob. He got  
on tiptoes and pushed the knob in the correct direction and got the door open.  
At first, he was frightened. This was the biggest woman he had ever seen. She didn't see him, then she looked down.   
  
*** ***  
  
"Gods, he cloned himself!" She thought. Well, A little version of himself. She decided it was silly and probably   
some kid that had traveled with the group. Perhaps she had not seen him. She bent down, "Could you tell me where   
Mr. Greywords is?" The boy nodded but made no other movement to fetch him. "Could you get him for me?"  
"Ereh thgir ma i."  
"Pardon?"  
"Ereh thgir ma i."  
She was getting really impatient with this brat, "Listen, you, I need to talk to Zelgadis Greywords and I have no   
time for gibberish! Where is he?"  
The boy sighed, "Tnaw uoy od tahw?"  
"WHERE IS HE?!"  
"Ohw?"  
"I'm coming in."  
  
*** ***  
  
Adults are weird. He was right here, so what did she want? The woman pushed through the door and nearly toppled him.   
Lady picked up her head.  
  
*** ***  
  
The noise woke her up. Amelia sat straight up when Mrs. Applebaggus looked at her.  
"Where is Zelgadis Greywords?"  
"In his room probably."  
"THIS IS HIS ROOM!" Amelia looked around. Indeed, it was his room. What was she doing in his room? Oh yeah, the   
suicide note and the winged woman and the screaming woman in the mirror and the...  
OH NO! Zel was a child! She spotted Zel, who was right behind Mrs. Applebaggus, repeating over and over, "Ereh thgir   
ma i. Tnaw uoy od tahw?"  
"And tell that child to speak like a human being!" Mrs. Applebaggus screamed.  
"Master Zelgadis, will you please be quiet?"  
"Sredro em evig ton nac uoy. Amam ym ton era uoy," he snapped back. She didn't know whether or not he had agreed or   
whether or not he had made a rude comment.   
"Did you just call him Zelgadis?"  
"Yes, madam, I did."  
"But that's not Zelgadis Greywords!"  
"But, it is him. He has been turned into a child."  
"That's impossible. No one can grow down!"  
Amelia put her face in her hands, "I don't know how it was done either but that is the way it is."  
"Well, how is a child supposed to pay the rest of his bill?"  
"The rest? He paid in full."  
"That's where you're wrong. You've stayed here for two days."  
"Two days? What day is it?"  
"Tuesday."  
"But yesterday was Monday!"  
"That's right. But it's 11 o'clock and you haven't checked out yet and if you stay past 10, it counts as another day.  
You all owe me for another day." Mrs. Applebaggus puffed up, proud, "You can pay when you all check out." And with that, she  
left the room.  
Amelia moaned. She still felt tired. She looked at Zelgadis, who was going back to doodle.  
"It's your fault, you know," She got up, "You and your angst. Have you ever once considered others' feelings?" Zel   
did not respond, "Suicide is the coward's way out. My daddy would've never attempted it, even though a lot worse things   
happened to him. He had dignity. How were you going to do it anyway?"   
That's when she spied a black bottle. She picked it up. It was labeled, "Weevil Root. Danger: Toxic. Do not ingest."  
"That's how, huh? Drown your sorrows. See if I care." She throw the bottle out the window. It hit the cobblestone   
with a little kilink, where a dog lapped it up and immediately died. "Oops. Sorry doggie!"  
She looked back at the bed. There she saw Lina and Gourry in an... erotic position.  
Lina stirred, "What time is it?"  
"It's 11 o'clock, Miss Lina."  
"Oh... we have to pay for another day, don't we?"  
"Yeah," she paused, "um... when we channeled our motherly instincts, did you feel the desire to procreate?"  
"No."  
"Then why are you and Mister Gourry in that position?" Lina looked around her and screeched. Then she punched Gourry  
in the nose so hard that he hit the wall next to the work desk. The desk rattled.  
"Ti pots! Pu ssem em edam uoy. Ti pots!" Zel cried.  
"Ooww, what did you hit me for?" Gourry moaned, trying to decide whether to hold his nose or his head.  
"You pervert! Wait til Lina's asleep and make your move, is that your game? Huh? Answer me!"  
"Lina! I don't know what you're talking about and even if I wanted to 'make a move', as you put it, there is no way   
I could've done it last night since I was too dog tired after running around after 'Psycho Baby Zel' for an hour and then   
having to sing him to sleep so I can finally get some sleep and then not only that, you guys have to interrogate me on how I   
could calm Mister Psycho Child down. And not only that but then Lina kicks me about five thousand times during the night so   
it's really hard to get comfortable and Amelia has to talk in her sleep which is really annoying! And has it EVER occurred   
to you that MAYBE, just MAYBE, I just ROLLED over? That I rolled over in that position that you just punched me about? And   
did you have to punch me? Couldn't have you just tapped me and said, 'Hey, Gourry, your position is making me uncomfortable,   
could you please move?' and I would've moved. Really! I'm not a sicko pervert who does sicko perverted things on purpose. I   
don't touch your non-existent breasts, don't interrupt, it's true, during your flying thingy spell because I like to, I touch  
them so I don't fall to my death. And another thing, the reason I panic during that flying thingy spell is I am afraid of   
heights! Okay? Guys can have phobias, too, alright? And I can wake up one morning and have my body not be harmed in any way   
before dinner? Is this, like, impossible for you to do?" Gourry took a breath and screamed, "And could one of you sorceresses  
heal my nose because I think it's broken!"  
Amelia rushed over and started a healing spell on his nose while Lina said, "Whoa. Where did that come from?   
Gourry, I'm really sorry."  
"It's okay. I'm just really tired and I'm in a bad mood today," Gourry wanted to say more but he felt he had said   
enough for the time being.   
He looked up at the Little Zel. He then panicked. Zel's eyes were brimming up with tears.  
"Uh oh. I think I scared him," he thought. Zel let out a wail.  
"What's wrong with him?" Amelia asked Gourry, seeing as he was the expert.  
"I think I scared him. Some kids can't handle people arguing, I sure know I was one of them."  
"No kidding, Gourry! You scared me!" Lina shouted over the noise, "Calm him down!"  
Gourry got up to grab him but Zel leaped out of his chair and into the corner, "Yracs era uoy! Emoh og ot tnaw i!"  
"Here we go again," Lina moaned, "Still got chocolates left?"  
Gourry sighed, "Even if I did, it wouldn't work now. I frightened him, he probably thinks I'm going to kill him."  
"By yelling? What does he think Miss Lina's going to do?" Amelia asked. Lina shot her a look.  
"Well, to a child, the world is simple: mean people and nice people. Showing any negative emotion makes you a 'mean'   
person..."  
"Which is what you basically did by yelling, right?" Amelia mused. Gourry nodded. "So, you can't do anything?" Gourry  
shook his head. "So, _I_ have to think of something?"  
Both Lina and Gourry nodded. Amelia huffed and knelt down. "Look, Master Zelgadis, we're not going to hurt you. We want to   
help you but you have to trust us. If you don't, you'll be stuck here forever and forever."  
"Niaga amam ym ees reven lliw i os?" Zel asked, with a worried expression. Amelia didn't have a clue what he said.   
"Okay, 50/50 chance that my answer will get him out of there," she thought. Aloud, she answered, "Yes." Zel's eyes widen   
like they had never widen in their presence before. Zel all but leaped into Amelia's lap, screaming, "Uoy htiw og lliw i!   
Amam my ot em ekat tsuj! Og su tel!" Zel hopped out of Amelia's lap and started jumping up and down, pointing at the door.  
"How did you know what he was saying?" Gourry asked.  
"I didn't. I guessed," Amelia said, shrugging, "It worked."  
"Who's going to pay for Zel's room?" Lina asked. Gourry went deep into thought and turned toward the desk. He opened  
the desk and took out Zel's money pouch.  
"How...?"  
"You room with a guy for a while, you learn his tricks. He's very predictable."   
"Gods, who are you and what have you done with Gourry?" Lina asked, completely amazed.  
"Well, I'm Gourry and I'm here."  
"How do you suddenly know a lot of stuff?"  
"Well, uh, most of the situations we were involved in were more of your field so I never got to do anything   
really..."  
Zel called from the door, "Olleh! Gniog ew era? Olleh!"  
"Master Zelgadis is getting impatient, I think we should leave," Amelia suggested. Gourry opened the door and Zel   
ran out and forced Gourry to chase and throw him over his shoulder. Zel squirmed and kicked Gourry.   
Gourry moaned, "There's gotta be an easier way to keep him in sight..."  
"There is."  
Gourry noticed Mrs. Applebaggus at the front desk. "There is?"  
"Yes, for 5 silver I'll show you." Gourry coughed up the money as Lina and Amelia were descending the stairs. "But   
you have to pay for your rooms first."  
They groaned and paid up. Mrs. Applebaggus nodded and led them to a back room, "I had three children. A wild bunch.   
I tried everything but only thing worked." She paused and looked at them, "Well, who's the guardian?"  
"I'm Lina's guardian!" Gourry answered.  
"I meant of the child."  
Both Lina and Amelia replied, "He is! He is!"  
"No, I'm not!"  
Lina whispered, "Look, you're the only one with child raising knowledge and you have the strength to keep him in   
line! So, agree or I'll kill you!"  
Gourry whimpered, "I am the guardian." Mrs. Applebaggus nodded and shuffled through boxes and brought out the kind   
of rope that they tie killer horses with.  
"You gotta be kidding!" Amelia gasped.  
"Just a rope? Come on!" Gourry said.  
"It's not 'just a rope', it's the strongest rope around! Nothing stronger! Besides, you already paid so you might as   
well use it!"  
"You tie down horses with that, not little kids!" Lina protested.  
"Esroh a ton ma i!" Zel screamed.  
"Okay, we'll take it. How does it work?" Lina asked.  
Mrs. Applebaggus pulled Gourry closer to her, "First, you tie one end of the rope around the guardian's waist," she did so,   
"then grab the kid and, usually, sedate it but we don't the time. Give me the kid." Gourry gave her Zel. He, of course,   
struggled (what else is new?) and resisted but he was tired from a long night of struggling and resisting and soon gave up.   
"Then you tie the other end to the child's waist. And that's it! Now, leave!" Mrs. Applebaggus barked and they ran out.  
  
*** ***  
  
When it grew dark, they decided to find an inn.  
"Hey, Lina, since we tied Zel up like a horse, can we just leave him in the stables?" Gourry asked.  
"Mister Gourry, that's awful!" Amelia pleaded.  
"No, what's really awful is forcing me to be tied to some..."  
"Oh, give it a rest, Gourry, no matter what you say, in the end, you will be tied to Zel. So deal," Lina snapped.  
"It doesn't mean I have to like it," Gourry muttered under his breath.  
"But, Mister Gourry, good has come out of this. I believe that we are starting to earn Master Zelgadis' childhood   
trust. After a day or two, we won't need to tie him up any more. We have to take baby steps in trust."  
"Then why don't you take them?"  
"Because... because... I'm special and you're not, that's why."  
"'Special'? In what way?"  
"I'm a woman. It's in-bred."  
Gourry wanted to make some remark but decided it would do more harm than good. He dropped the subject.   
  
*** ***  
  
Zel knew he was making others upset with him. Maybe he should try to make peace with them. They certainly didn't   
act like they were going to kill him. Maybe signing would help.  
  
*** ***   
  
Zel tugged at Gourry's pant leg. He turned around and saw Zel pointing at his eye.  
"What's the matter with your eye?"  
Zel shook his head and pointed to his eye again. "Yeah, that's your eye." Zel nodded.  
They were passing a pig farm and he pointed to the pigs and then to the slaughterhouse.  
"Yeah, that's a pig farm and that's where they, uh, kill them and the pigs go to a happy place with lots of   
flowers..."  
"What are you talking about, Gourry?" Lina asked, perplexed.  
"Well, Zel keeps pointing to stuff and I'm telling him what he's pointing at." Zel hit his forehead and moaned.   
"You got a headache now?"  
"On!" Zel cried in frustration. He pointed his eye then to the pig farm slaughterhouse and then clasped his hands   
together and bowed.  
"I think he's playing 'Charades'," Amelia said.  
"Oh, I hate that game!" Lina groaned.  
"Let's see," Amelia mused, "See, look, oh, eye! I! Okay, the pig farm slaughterhouse. Uh, Mister Gourry, any ideas?"  
"Oh, I stink at this game, sorry," Gourry shrugged. Zel was making a carving motion and then an eating motion,   
implying utensils.  
"Eat? Kill? No, that wouldn't be carving, that would be hacking. Carve and eat, what do you carve and eat?"  
"Turkey?" Lina suggested. Zel shook his head.  
"Roast?" Gourry asked. Zel shook his head.  
"Pork? No, wait, ham!" Lina thought aloud. Zel nodded.  
"'I ham'? Do you mean 'I am'?" Amelia asked. Zel nodded. "I am bowing? I am praying?"  
"Sorry?" Gourry asked. Zel clapped his hands and nodded. "Oh, I forgive you. It's okay. As long as you try to be   
nicer to us from now on, okay?" Zel nodded, then made an untying motion. "No, I'm not untying you. Nice try."  
"I think we should stick together tonight, to keep an eye on him. Besides, it's cheaper," Lina suggested.  
"I think I see the town. I'm so hungry!" Gourry started to run, lifting Zel into the air until he was parallel to   
the ground.  
"Wait for me, Gourry!"  
  
To be continued.  
  
Author's Notes: Just so you know, I hate Charades too. I don't own these characters. Don't sue me. C&C are welcome and   
needed at destinyplot@lycos.com. Write to me even if you have nothing to say on the fic, just drop me a line! Hey, I'm so   
bored, I'll accept flames! Go ahead, I might write back!   



	4. Dreams

  
Note: This is going to be a liiiiittle creepy. It's going to get worse.  
  
  
Chapter Four: Dreams  
Zel pulled the covers closer to his chin as he slept.  
  
*** ***  
  
Cold. Still. She felt cold and still to his touch. It's not true. It can't be true. Katherine was behind him, silent  
as stone. He said to the wall, "It's not true. Young people never die. Only the old do. Everyone knows that."  
"Dis, she's dead. Accept it!" Katherine snapped back with a solemn expression. Zel spun around, "You lie! She's just  
asleep, s'all. Just sleeping." He began to shake her, "Wake up. Show her you're alive." She did not respond. "Come on! Wake   
up!" He lost all his strength and began sliding to the floor, "Only old people die... wake up..." He began to wail. His   
mother did not respond to his cries. She never did again.  
  
FLASH  
  
The heat of the funeral fire made his sweat drip down his face in long lines. He was not crying now. Neither was his   
father. The rest of the village was bawling their eyes out, including Eris. He looked indifferently at the dancing flames. He  
could hear his father say something to himself but he could not hear the exact words. His father was patting his shoulder.   
He bent down to his son's height.  
"You'll be okay. Life will move on."  
"I know," he was saying back, without feeling it. He had been hearing only that for the past week. "Okay" was   
beginning to mean nothing to him.  
"Just promise me something."  
Zel nodded, he wasn't listening though. "I want you to be strong. And to help others. And remember to stand up for   
yourself. Lead a good life. Remember your parents." He took a breath, "Remember that whatever you do, we will always love you. You are  
our golden child, remember that. I promise me that you'll never forget how special and beautiful you are." He went to a   
standing position sharply and strode elegantly to the fire. Zel could hear everyone whispering to give his father his space.  
In a blink, he was jumping and flames were consuming him.  
Chaos erupted. Women screaming, children asking questions or crying, men running around, shouting orders that no one   
was following. And Zel's father cremated himself before their very eyes. Zel's knees started to give and he didn't fight. He   
slid to the ground, emotionless. He was just sitting there, apart from the chaos around him. It was just him and the fire.   
Not a tear fell. He was staring at the ground now. He said aloud, though no one alive was listening to him.  
"I promise."  
  
FLASH  
  
He began to beat against the metal plank he was bound to.  
"Let me go! Grandfather, let go!"  
WHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!  
  
FLASH  
  
He tilted his head and snapped back, "My mother's dead too. Don't act so high and mighty because your mother just   
died."  
The over-endowed girl screamed, "You just don't care! You're completely heartless."  
He began to laugh insanely, "Oh, I forgot, my pain doesn't matter to you. My pain is heartless and your pain is   
noble. That is justice to you."  
"Your mother was just a peasant! Who cares?!"  
"Your mother was just a queen! Who cares?"  
"My mother was beautiful woman. The most beautiful woman ever to walk."  
"So was mine!"  
"My mother had a heart of gold!"  
"Mine did too!"  
"Everyone loved her!"  
"Well, someone sure as hell didn't like her!" The girl's eyes brimmed over with tears. "Of course, what do I know...  
I'm just a peasant."  
  
FLASH  
  
Blood was dripping on to the floor from his tunic. That man! He did it!  
  
FLASH  
  
Grandfather was sighing, "I can't deny it. I can't rid of it. Just don't it again. It frightens people."  
Zel lowered his eyes, "I did help them..."  
"Yes, but, it could've gotten you killed. Or sent away. Do you want to be sent away?"  
"No, Grandfather."  
"Then you'll follow my advice." Zel began to nod.  
  
FLASH  
  
"Do you wish to be strong, Zelgadis? You'll completely transformed."  
  
FLASH  
  
The blonde woman had just kissed him. It began to grow dark. He could hear his mother screaming his name. He could   
also hear someone laughing. He didn't even hear the joke.  
  
*** ***  
  
Zel bolted awake. He gasped and drew deep breaths. It was a nightmare, wasn't it? Or was it real? He knew that those  
scary scenes weren't something his mind devised, they were memories of the other him. It frightened him.  
They were events that hadn't even happened yet... or had they? Was his mama and papa really dead? He suddenly felt   
very small and alone.  
He got out of his bed and climbed into Red's bed. Red was obviously the leading lady and the leading lady is always   
a mother. Red rolled over, squishing him. Zel waved his arms to move her. She kicked him out of the bed. He got back in the   
bed. She shoved him out while she was still snoring.  
He gave up after five rounds. He looked at Big Guy. Men weren't good nightmare relievers. He looked at Lady. He   
climbed into Lady's bed and spent the rest of the night there.  
  
To Be Continued  
  
Author's Notes: Wow, that was short. Don't worry, the dream will become longer and more detailed... and spookier! I don't own  
these characters, except Katherine, I made her up.   
C&C are welcome and needed at destinyplot@lycos.com. I'll accept anything, flames and all. Or even if you just want to talk   
about almost anything, that's welcome too.  
See you when the next chapter is done!  
Oh, if his parents are alive or died in another matter, don't go screaming at me, please. Let me save time and tell you what  
I'll say if you yell at me about that: Creative License.  



	5. Homecoming

Chapter 5: Homecoming  
  
"Aaa! Look! He's a little pervert!" Lina screamed when she found Zel in Amelia's bed, clutching her tightly in his   
sleep.  
"Miss Lina, he's only six... well, twenty-four but he looks six... uh... he's thinks he is six... uh... never mind..."   
Amelia tried to sort this out in her mind while Gourry tried to calm Lina down.  
"He was probably having a bad dream or something and wanted company. I know I always slept with my mom when I got   
scared. He just chose Amelia as a Substitute Mom."  
Lina snapped back, "But you're the one who is the Comforter of Panic, why didn't he sleep with you?! I'll tell ya   
why, he's a little perv!"  
"Lina, 'daddies' don't do nightmares. Everyone knows that from the moment they pop out of their mothers. Zel   
wouldn't come to me because guys don't make nightmare monsters go away."  
Amelia interjected, "I always went to my daddy when I was scared!"  
"But if your mom had been there, you would have gone to her. You didn't exactly have a choice, Zel does. As weird as  
that sounds."  
Lina grumbled, "I still think he's a perv."   
Zel sat up and yawned, unaware that they were talking about him. He looked around, smiling at everyone.  
Lina sighed, "Well, not only is he a perv, he's a sickeningly cute perv," Lina ripped her hair out in frustration,   
"I can't be mad at a cute little kid! Make him stop being cute so I can be angry without feeling bad!"  
Zel giggled in the cutest way possible.  
"STOP IT!!!"  
  
*** ***  
  
Three days later, they arrived in the White Magic City, Saillune. Of course, Lina and Gourry were not too thrilled   
at the prospect of seeing Phil while Amelia was ecstatic.  
"I hope Daddy didn't miss me too much while I was away!" Amelia said giggling.  
"Why do we have to see your father?" Lina asked, moaning.  
"Daddy might know a way to change Master Zelgadis back to normal. I bet there is something in the magical books in   
the royal library!"  
"Yippee," Lina said dead-pan.  
  
*** ***  
  
Of course, Zel had no idea who exactly "Phil" was but he was excited. First off, he had never been to Saillune   
before. Secondly, Big Guy had decided that since this was a special day, he would untie Zel but he insisted on holding his   
hand. The scary part was Big Guy's hand completely engulfed his and his fingers could still wriggle. Big Guy knew this   
however and gripped Zel tightly so Zel couldn't escape. He marveled at the sights of Saillune. Everyone talking at once and   
selling things he had never seen before. And somewhere, in that mass of chaos and confusion, there was a lollipop with his   
name on it.  
While deciding which flavor he should get when he got around to asking Big Guy to get him a lolly, he heard singing   
children.  
Maybe singing isn't the right word. More like happy chanting. He heard this:  
  
Papa, Papa  
get your bow  
There are ten ducks  
in a row  
String it, string it  
make it tight  
Mama and Baby   
need food tonight  
Hit them, Hit them  
as fast as you can  
so I can put them  
in a frying pan  
  
At the last verse, all the singers clapped their hands and screamed "Quack" so loud that the nearby adults jumped.   
Then the rhyme began again, only this time with nine ducks, then eight, then seven and so on. It was a simple counting rhyme  
and, as with all children songs, highly annoying when sang repeatedly. Which the children did.  
This rhyme caught Zel's attention. He knew the rhyme. That meant the children singing were children from his village.  
All his friends would be there since all of them were six and six was an important year. That was the year for your first   
trip to Saillune.  
But Zel was stuck! The adults would never let him go. Big Guy would know as soon as he wriggled out to freedom.   
"What if he didn't, though?" Zel thought to himself.  
  
*** ***  
  
"I'm hungry," Lina said aloud.  
"So am I," Gourry answered, "And I bet Zel is, too."  
"There's a restaurant over there, Miss Lina," Amelia gesturing to some distance away from them. Before Lina could   
respond, an angry butcher stomped over to them.  
"Are yuh payin' fer that?" The butcher sneered.  
"Pay for what? Walking around?" Lina scoffed.  
"Nyoh, for those sausage links yer boyfriend's been draggin' in the dirt for the last quarta mile!" Gourry looked   
behind him and where Zel should have been were dirty sausage links.   
"Oops, do you want them back?" Gourry asked.  
The butcher turned bright red, "No! Ya dunce! Who in their right mind would pay for trashed links? Nah, you're   
buyin' 'em!"   
"Why? I didn't take them."  
"They're in yer hand!"  
"The boy under my care took them."  
"Well, he ain't here now, ain't he? Pay!" Before Lina got involved, Amelia took out the right amount and paid. The   
butcher bowed to "Your Lovely Majesty" and spat on Gourry's foot.  
"Why did you go and do that?" Lina demanded.  
"It wasn't worth you throwing around fireballs," Amelia replied.  
"I wonder where Zel went..." Gourry wondered while Lina and Amelia argued over the links.  
  
*** ***  
  
"QUACK!!!" The children giggled when Michelle jumped.  
"Cephied, I hate that part," Michelle said to her husband, Evan.  
"Well, I bet our parents didn't like it very much either," Evan smirked.  
"That doesn't make me feel any better." Evan laughed and Michelle joined him. It was a lovely day for trading.   
Business would be good today. "If I'm lucky, I might get the nerve to talk to Evan about raising our own children," she   
thought. She looked around in contentment when she noticed a boy following the parade of traders. He was looking for someone.  
He looked lost. Michelle tapped Evan, "Evan, do you see that boy?"  
Evan looked over, "Yeah, figure he's lost his mama or something?" Michelle nodded, "Here," she handed him the list   
of supplies they needed, "I'll be back."   
She went over to the boy. He was frail-looking and pale like ivory. He had blue hair that was cut where his head met   
his neck. He had the bluest of eyes. Such unusual eyes. She had only seen one other person with those type of eyes. Eyes you  
could just fall into and...  
"Stop that!" she chided herself. They were just eyes. Concentrate on the boy, the now. She touched his shoulders, she  
could feel his shoulder blades, "Are you lost?" The boy nodded. "Are you looking for your mama?" The boy nodded again. "Let's  
go find her."   
She brought him into the parade and said to the woman behind her, "Katherine, tell the others I've found a boy. He's  
lost, make sure your children are with you." Katherine nodded and passed it on. The boy, however, began going through the   
people and saying, "Amam? Apap?" repeatedly. The children had started the song again since they had just reached zero. This   
made the boy more antsy, more pleading in his search.   
Katherine turned to Michelle, "No one is missing no one. The kid isn't from our village."  
"What should we do with him? He could get hurt or sold to be a slave somewhere..."  
"You know they don't allow that here!"  
"That doesn't mean they don't do it."  
Katherine sighed, "Okay, he'll stay. Searching mothers stick out in a crowd." So, they waited.  
"QUACK!!!"  
  
*** ***  
  
"Where could've he gone?" Lina asked no one but herself, then she ground her teeth, "and whoever is singing that song  
better shut up soon!"  
"Miss Lina, I think I see him! He's with the shepherds from the Millay Province!" Amelia pointed out the parade of   
shepherds. The singing children were also in this group.  
"QUACK!!!"  
"I wish they'd stop," Lina groaned, and Lina started towards them but Amelia was ahead of her. She went up to   
Michelle.   
"Excuse me, is that boy yours?" Amelia asked, "because we've just lost track of..."  
Michelle clapped her hands and got the boy's attention, "Look! We found your mama!"  
The boy shook his head, "Ydal si taht. Amam ym ton si taht."  
"Excuse me?" Michelle asked, and turned to Amelia, "What did he just say?" Amelia was not listening, she was calling   
Gourry over, "Mister Gourry! I found Master Zelgadis!"  
Michelle tapped Amelia on the shoulder, "What did you call this boy?"  
"Master Zelgadis."  
"It's just that... uh... it doesn't matter... I'm sorry..."  
"Sorry for what?"  
"Well, I know this sounds strange but I used to know a boy named Zelgadis. But he died long ago. I thought it was an   
unusual name I guess I was wrong..."  
"What was his last name?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"His last name, what was it?"  
"I don't see why you find this so fascinating, he was just a boy I knew long ago..."  
"Tell me anyway!"  
"Greywords. Zelgadis Greywords." Gourry had just run over just Amelia began jumping around.   
"We found it! We found it!" Amelia hugged Gourry around the neck.  
"What did we find?" Gourry strained out.  
"His hometown! Master Zelgadis' hometown! His parents must be here. They will translate for us."  
"Who's hometown?" Michelle asked.  
"Master Zelgadis'! The boy there."  
"But he's no one's son. This boy wasn't born in Millay. And Zelgadis Greywords died seven years ago."  
"How do you know?" Lina asked, having joined the group.  
"He stopped writing. He stopped visiting us. What other explanation could there be? Besides, Zelgadis Greywords, if   
he was alive, would be twenty-four years old, not six!"  
"But there is a simple explanation for that..." But before Amelia could finish, a crinkled voice said, "Come here,   
child." Zel's ears perked up and ran to a shrunken lady. She was very old. She was leather brown and her hair was white and   
in a bun. She was deeply wrinkled.   
"Maya? Do you know who the child is?" Michelle asked.  
"In a moment I will," she smiled, "Little One, is your name Zelgadis Greywords?"  
The boy nodded. "Are those two your parents?" He shook his head. "Where are your parents?" He shrugged. "Are you   
from the Millay Province?" He nodded. "Are the grandson and the great-grandson of the Red Priest Rezo?" He nodded. She looked  
up at Michelle, "My child, one thing I know is when a child is lying. This child is not. This child is Zelgadis Greywords,"   
She chuckled, "I told you he was still alive."  
Katherine, shaking her head in silence now found words, "Are you saying he grew down?"  
"Not exactly," Lina said, ready to make a speech. Maya wheezed, "I am tired, and I believe so are the rest of the   
villagers. We have an inn reserved, explain your story to us there."  
  
*** ***  
  
"And so," Lina concluded, "that's all we know. That's all we saw."  
"We were thinking that his parents could understand him and tell us what they want to do with him," Gourry added.  
Maya nodded, "You're right. His mother could understand him."  
Lina clapped, "Great, where is she?"  
Maya looked sad and deflated, "My dear, the mother of this child is dead."  
"Dead?" The three adults asked in unison.  
"Sad, but true. She became very ill and died when the boy was nine years old. Before you ask, his father could not   
understand him and it would not matter anyway, he killed himself at his wife's funeral."  
Evan drew a deep breath from his pipe, "I remember that. I couldn't sleep for days without seeing that."  
"So, no parents. How about siblings?" Lina asked, waving the smoke away from her face.  
"He was an only child," Katherine said.   
Michelle marveled aloud, "He's just as he was when he was six. The looks, the attitude, the memories, even the   
language. He truly grew down."  
Katherine's husband, Mitchell, spoke up, "Not quite."  
"What do you mean?" Evan asked.  
"I don't see him throwing up any black crud. Remember the black crud he'd cough up? He's perfect in every way. That   
makes him imperfect."  
"Throwing up black crud? What black crud?" Lina asked, ever the skeptic.  
Maya explained, "Zelgadis was a sickly child. He was premature and small, it was to be expected. He barely saw his   
first year, if his grandfather had not healed him, he would not have lived. But even Rezo was baffled by his illness. As a   
result, he never fully recovered."  
Evan finished for Maya, "First off, he lost his magical powers, according to his father. Also, he was physically   
weak. He didn't learn to walk until he was finishing up his second year, and even then, he walked awkwardly for years   
afterward. He didn't speak until he was five and it was in that goofy language you hear now. When he spoke in our language,   
around the age of eight, he had a horrible stutter. He couldn't say his 'Z's, he had to say his name like 'Elgadis'. He was   
pretty messed up."  
Michelle then recalled something, "But, by some miracle, when he turned ten, every ailment went away. He gained a   
steady and graceful stride, his voice took on a richer tone and his stutter vanished. He got stronger. A lot stronger. He   
could take on boys bigger than him. He didn't believe it. He thought we were lying when we said he was the best fighter. He   
was convinced he was weak. We could never convince him otherwise."  
Lina was growing impatient, "What about the black crud?"  
"Oh, that," Evan said, "when we were in the three to six year range, whenever we would be playing tag or something,   
one minute he'd be running around like a normal kid then he'd keel over and start throwing up," Evan made a face of disgust,   
"all this black crud. We never knew what it was. It looked like tar but we knew it wasn't tar. They would never tell us   
what it was. I don't think even they knew. I know Dis hated it. It wouldn't be once a day either. He would throw up around   
five times a day..."  
"Five times?" Amelia asked in shock.  
"Yeah, it would come without warning. You could just be talking to him, not moving him or anything and he would just  
throw up in front of you. He couldn't control it."   
"But," Michelle added, "that also vanished. He stopped throwing up around the age of seven."   
Lina put her head in her hands, "Great, we have to wait a year before we can even understand him. What are   
supposed to do in the meantime?"  
"Surely Master Zelgadis had other relatives," Amelia suggested.  
"I do remember something," Mitchell said, "when we would be leaving to go home, the Greywords family would keep going  
north. I asked Dis where exactly they went and he said 'To his aunty's house'. He may have an aunt."  
"That doesn't tell us where in the north his 'aunt' lives," Lina barked back.  
Maya laughed, "I know where the Greywords went, and I'll tell you how to get there."  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's Notes: Hey! I'm back. Marching season is over so I have a lot more time on the weekends to write! Hope you enjoyed   
this chapter! I'm sorry the last one was so short and I hope this chapter made up for it!  
  
I'm glad some people have decided to write to me! If you want send me some C&C or just want to know what the square root of   
64 is, you can reach me at: destinyplot@lycos.com  
  
See you later!  



	6. Babel

Chapter 6: Babel  
  
"Hayla? That awful place? How could they send a child there? It's a country of corruption..." Amelia ranted.  
"I thought it was okay when I was there," Gourry   
remarked.  
"I think you're overreacting," Lina commented, "it's not that bad."  
"Yes, it is! There are drug dealers on the street corners and they sell it to little children! The legal   
drinking age is, like, 2 years old or something. It's a dreadful place to send a child!"  
"My dear," Maya chuckled, "I doubt Zelgadis' aunt let him get involved such things."  
"How do you know that? She could be a horrible drug dealer for all we know..."  
"Amelia, it doesn't matter now. We're going to Hayla," Lina ordered, leaving no room for argument.  
"But only after I see my Daddy..." Amelia stubbornly added.  
"Yeah, yeah, I promise."  
Gourry moved on, "I think Zel's tired. Do you want to put him to bed, Amelia?"  
Amelia puffed herself up, "Of course. It's only right."   
She took Zel's hand and led him to the room they had rented for the night. After she had left, Lina said, "Like   
it's my fault drugs are sold in Hayla. Anyway, Maya, how exactly do we get there?"  
  
*** ***  
  
Amelia took Zel to the room and showed him the bed. She tucked him in and Zel pointed to under his bed.  
"Monsters?" Amelia asked. She checked under the bed, "No monsters. Good night."   
Zel pointed to the closet. She checked there, "No monsters. Good night."   
Zel pointed to the other beds, she checked them too, "No monsters. Good night."   
Zel then put his hands together and slowly opened them, keeping the hands touching and repeated this gesture over   
and over.   
"A story? Do you want a story?" Zel nodded.   
"What story would you like to hear?" Zel made his hands into fists, and drew his left away from his right. When his   
right went past his head, he opened the right hand.   
"Robin Hood?" Zel nodded eagerly. "I love that story too." Amelia sat at the foot of the bed and told him the   
story of Robin Hood.   
When she was finished, she tucked him a little more and fluffed his pillow. He reached his arms out. "Do you want a   
good-night kiss?" He nodded. Amelia kissed his forehead and got a nasty shock. "Ow! That hurt! There must be static in   
the room," Amelia thought aloud.   
She said to Zel, "Good night, Master Zelgadis." She went to the door and opened it when Zel said, "Good night, Lady.  
That was a nice story."   
She smiled, "I'm glad you liked it." Then she walked through the door and closed it behind her.  
It was only after she was making her way towards the other room it occurred to her that she had understood what   
Zel had said. She ran to the other room.  
  
*** ***  
  
"Okay, I think this is a good road to take..." Lina pondered over a map.  
"Yeah, but the last time I went that road, they had a toll..." Gourry corrected.  
"How much?"  
"It wasn't a lot but still, it was pretty annoying..."  
"Everyone!" Amelia burst in, "Master Zelgadis spoke!"  
"He's been speaking for quite awhile," Lina said, not looking up, "How about this road?"  
"No, no! I meant in a language we can understand!" Amelia declared.  
"Really? Let's go see," Gourry said, getting up. Lina got up and followed the excited Amelia. They went to the   
room they had rented and woke poor Zel up.  
"Master Zelgadis, tell them what you told me just now," Amelia requested.  
"I just told you I liked your story. Why is that so important to you?" Zel responded.  
"Uh, sounds the same way to me," Gourry cocked his head.  
"Me too. Nothing has changed."  
"But, I understood him. Why don't you understand him?" Amelia pleaded.  
"I wish I could but I can't. He sounds the same," Lina said.  
"I don't understand. Why am I the only one who can understand him?" Amelia wondered.  
  
*** ***  
  
I must interrupt this fic for an important announcement. From now on, every line of Little Zel dialogue will be   
written like this, "#Blah, blah, blah#". I'm doing this because, well, I'm a lazy slob and I don't want Amelia   
repeating everything Zel says. I now return you to your regularly scheduled fic.  
  
*** ***  
  
Cold. Still. She felt cold and still to his touch. It's not true. It's can't be true. Katherine was behind him, silent   
as stone. He said to the wall, "It's not true. Young people never die. Only the old do. Everyone knows that."  
"Dis, she's dead. Accept it!" Katherine snapped back with a solemn expression. Zel spun around, "You lie! She's   
just asleep, s'all. Just sleeping." He began to shake her, "Wake up. Show her you're alive." She did not respond. "Come   
on! Wake up!" He lost all his strength and began sliding to the floor, "Only old people die... wake up..." He began to   
wail. His mother did not respond to his cries. She never did again.  
  
FLASH  
  
The heat of the funeral fire made his sweat drip down his face in long lines. He was not crying now. Neither was   
his father. The rest of the village was bawling their eyes out, including Eris. He looked indifferently at the dancing   
flames. He could hear his father say something to himself but he could not hear the exact words. His father was patting his   
shoulder. He bent down to his son's height.  
"You'll be okay. Life will move on."  
"I know," he was saying back, without feeling it. He had been hearing only that for the past week. "Okay" was   
beginning to mean nothing to him.  
"Just promise me something."  
Zel nodded, he wasn't listening though. "I want you to be strong. And to help others. And remember to stand up for   
yourself. Lead a good life. Remember your parents." He took a breath, "Remember that whatever you do, we will always   
love you. You are our golden child, remember that. I promise me that you'll never forget how special and beautiful you   
are." He went to a standing position sharply and strode elegantly to the fire. Zel could hear everyone whispering to   
give his father his space. In a blink, he was jumping and flames was consuming him.  
Chaos erupted. Women screaming, children asking questions or crying, men running around, shouting orders   
that no one was following. And Zel's father cremated himself before their very eyes. Zel's knees started to give and he   
didn't fight. He slid to the ground, emotionless. He was just sitting there, apart from the chaos around him. It was   
just him and the fire. Not a tear fell. He was staring at the ground now. He said aloud, though no one alive was   
listening to him.  
"I promise."  
  
FLASH  
  
He was in one of his grandfather's many labs. He was also bound to a tilted metal table. He couldn't move.   
"Grandfather?" he called. No answer. "Grandfather? Can you let me go now?"  
"Zelgadis, I want you to stay calm."  
"Calm? Just let me go!"  
"You want to stop hurting yourself, don't you?"  
"For the last time, I don't do those things! Let me go!" He began to cry.  
"I want to try something. It may work, it may not." Zel could hear a switch clicking somewhere in the darkness.   
WHREEEEEE!  
"Grandfather? What is that sound?"  
"An invention of mine. I vow I will cure you of your ailment."  
"Stop it, Grandfather! You're scaring me! Let me go!"  
"Now, stay still. Stay calm."  
"ERIS!!! HELP ME!!! MAKE HIM STOP THIS!!!!"  
"Stay calm. You'll feel better soon."  
He began to beat against the metal plank he was bound to.  
"Let me go! Grandfather, let go!"  
WHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!  
  
FLASH  
  
He tilted his head and snapped back, "My mother's dead too. Don't act so high and mighty because your mother just   
died."  
The over-endowed girl screamed, "You just don't care! You're completely heartless."  
He began to laugh insanely, "Oh, I forgot, my pain doesn't matter to you. My pain is heartless and your pain is   
noble. That is justice to you."  
"Your mother was just a peasant! Who cares?!"  
"Your mother was just a queen! Who cares?"  
"My mother was beautiful woman. The most beautiful woman ever to walk."  
"So was mine!"  
"My mother had a heart of gold!"  
"Mine did too!"  
"Everyone loved her!"  
"Well, someone sure as hell didn't like her!"   
The girl's eyes brimmed over with tears.  
"Of course, what do I know... I'm just a peasant."  
  
FLASH  
  
Blood was dripping on to the floor from his tunic. That man! He did it!  
  
FLASH  
  
Grandfather was sighing, "I can't deny it. I can't rid of it. Just don't it again. It frightens people."  
Zel lowered his eyes, "I did help them..."  
"Yes, but, it could've gotten you killed. Or sent away. Do you want to be sent away?"  
"No, Grandfather."  
"Then you'll follow my advice." Zel began to nod.  
  
FLASH  
  
"Do you wish to be strong, Zelgadis? You'll completely transformed."  
  
FLASH  
  
The blonde woman had just kissed him. It began to grow dark. He could hear his mother screaming his name. He could   
also hear someone laughing. He didn't even hear the joke.  
  
*** ***  
  
He bolted awake. The dream was becoming more detailed. It was strange having memories of things that had not even   
happened yet. It was like watching someone else's life. But it wasn't someone else, it was him.   
  
*** ***  
  
The merry band made their way to the palace. To Amelia's relief, her father had not been assassinated, no   
one had tried to usurp the throne, no one had hired mazuko to rise to power and then get a hole punched through their   
chests, ground stayed on the ground, no neighboring countries had tried to take over the world, so she was   
happy. Things were quiet around the palace.  
"DADDY!" Amelia hugged her father.  
"DAUGHTER!" Phil hugged her back.  
"#I am scared!#" Zel shrieked.  
Well, it waaaaas!  
Zel ran behind Gourry's legs, seeing he was the biggest barrier against the half-bald black bear that was crushing   
Lady.  
"#Oh, the horror! How did a black bear get into a palace? Where is the prince?#"  
"What are you talking about, Master Zelgadis? What black bear are you referring to?" Amelia asked, out of her   
father's embrace.  
"#The one that was crushing you like a sapling!#" Zel whimpered back.  
"AND WHO IS FINE YOUNG MAN?!" Phil boomed.  
"This is..."  
"WHAT?!" Phil asked.  
"TAKE YOUR EARPLUGS OUT, DADDY!" Amelia screamed. Phil did so and apologized, "Sorry, the Baroness of Rena was just   
here. She chatters so, it is very challenging to take a good nap with all that chattering going on. Anyway, that is   
besides the point. Who is this, Amelia?"  
"This is... um... kind of hard to explain..."  
"Kindofhardtoexplain? What a strange name! But who am I to judge the beauty of foreign names? It probably means   
something like 'courageous fighter' or 'proud archer'."  
"Daddy! That's not his name!"   
"Then why did you say it was?"  
"I didn't... anyway, this is... Master Zelgadis."  
"Isn't that strange? Don't we know someone else by that name? Isn't he that quiet one with that horrible temper?"  
"Yes, Daddy, that one, but..."  
"But this boy looks lively enough. They probably have nothing in common. Isn't that so ironic? Same name, completely   
different personalities. How do you do, Master Zelgadis?" Phil bowed down to Zel height, while Zel looked up at Lady, "#Is   
he your Papa?#"  
"Yes, Master Zelgadis."  
"#Is he the Prince?#"  
"Yes, Master Zelgadis."  
"#Does that mean you are a princess?#"  
"Yes, Master Zelgadis."  
Zel looked at the royal couple and replied, in conclusion, "#You look like a princess, but he does not. There has   
been a mix up here. Are you sure he is your Papa?#"  
Amelia turned red, "Of course, I am sure! How dare you question my..." She then realized that she was shouting at   
the top of her lungs in front of everyone and, especially, a simple child that made the same mistake everyone else who   
heard fairy tales involving princes made and who meant no harm by it. She took a breath, "Yes, Master Zelgadis, I am   
sure." She went into lecture mode, "Never judge a book by its cover, that's your lesson today."  
"How can you understand him, Amelia?" Phil asked.  
"I am not quite sure myself. I just can."  
Phil laughed his boisterous trademark laugh, "Never question a blessing, that's what I always say! I was about   
to sit down to lunch and would be delighted to hear about your adventures and where you picked up this delightful   
child!" Phil turned his back, confident he would be followed and that he was. "FOOD!" Lina cried out as her war cry. She   
was quickly echoed by Gourry. Soon, Amelia was left alone with Zel, to whom she offered her hand. He took it, "#I am   
hungry. What do princes and princesses eat anyway?#"   
Amelia just laughed.  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's Notes: Told you the dream would come back. FORESHADOWING!!! Okay, I flat out told you but FORESHADOWING   
is a cooler word. If you have any C&C (which I love, I serve to entertain you) or you're just wondering why I called this   
chapter "Babel", e-mail me at: destinyplot@lycos.com because snail mail is too slow.   
  



	7. Mirror

Chapter Seven: Mirror  
  
"Oh, he's so cute!"  
"Do you want a cookie?"  
"He's just like my little bro back home!"  
The maids in the laundry room were discussing their visitor, a young boy who had found himself in a laundry basket after   
escaping from his supposed "naptime", an activity everyone else assumed he was doing.   
Zel did very much want a cookie but they were strangers and you are never supposed to take gifts from strangers. Of   
course, no one was actually doing work and this was soon discovered by the head maid, Eve.  
Eve was 200 lb. of pure muscle, and was the only servant that could dare to boss even Prince Phil around, on   
a good day.   
"You ragamuffin! You go on and git outta here!" She grabbed Zel by the collar, "Out wit ya!" She swung open the   
door and threw him out, much to the other maids' dismay and disappointment.  
Dejected, Zel went to find his fun elsewhere. He wandered the palace looking for amusement and soon became   
very lost. He found himself in a lonely hallway, and started investigating the various abandoned rooms. In most rooms,   
there was nothing inside. In others, the furniture was musty or covered with white sheets. They were boring rooms and   
provided little interest to a hyper six-year-old Zel.  
At the end of the hall was a fancy door. Fancy doors usually led to fancy rooms and perhaps interesting rooms. He   
turned the gold diamond-studded knob.  
  
*** ***  
  
Meanwhile, Gourry thought it would be a good time to wake Zel up from his nap. What he found was an empty, untidy   
bed. He soon realized that Zel had run off, much like his adult counterpart, "Old habits die hard, huh, Zel?"  
When Lina and Amelia were informed, they were very distressed. After Lina had sufficiently beaten Gourry, and   
Amelia had worn a really nice ring into the foreign rug, they decided to hunt for Zel.  
"It never once occurred to you to stay by the door to make sure he stayed there?" Lina asked Gourry.  
"I always took my naps. I was a good kid."  
"This isn't the time for excuses! We have to find Master Zelgadis before he gets himself in trouble!" Amelia   
answered, hoping to delay a brawl in her palace.  
"If I were Zel, where would I go?" Lina asked.  
"To the library," Gourry answered.  
"How do you figure that?"  
"Because that is what Zel always does."  
"Adult Zel, yes, but probably not Little Zel."  
"Well, when I was younger, I always went to the maids' chamber rooms," Amelia replied, "I learned most of what I   
know from those visits."  
"Let's go there. Show us the way," Lina gestured.  
  
*** ***  
  
This room was less musty but it was still clear it had not been used in years. The furniture was not covered in   
white sheets. The queen-sized bed was made, the windows were spot-less, the wood was polished, if a touch dusty. It was   
taken care of but clearly not used.  
To Zel's left was a dresser with a vanity. He turned to walk over to the vanity when he heard something unsticking   
nearby. The back of his shirt felt moist but it had not been moist seconds before. He reached his right hand behind him   
and felt moisture. He pulled his hand back out front and looked at it. It was wet. Wet with fresh blood. He glanced   
behind him. The entire back of his tunic was covered in fresh blood.   
He turned back to the closed door. There was splat of blood that was the size of his back. Before his eyes, the   
splat grew and reached out until it covered the entire door and it kept growing, reaching out to the walls around the   
door. The splat ran downwards, to the floor, rushing towards him.  
Zel stepped backward to get away from the horrible sight and slipped. He got up and saw he had slipped in a   
growing pool of blood. His pants were also now covered in blood.  
Zel rushed on to the bed, to get away from the surrounding blood and suddenly pinned to the bed by an   
unseen force. He looked up. There was now a man on top of him, holding a dagger at the zenith, readying it to strike   
straight at his heart.  
He screamed and rolled off the bed. When he had stopped screaming, the man was still there but there was a curly   
haired woman under him. She was screaming and she wouldn't stop. The man wouldn't move from his position, frozen in   
time in that pose. A woman kept screaming and screaming, louder and louder until Zel's ears were about to bleed.  
He covered his ears and closed his eyes, "#This is not real! This is not real! This is not happening! This is not   
happening!#"  
The growing blood on the floor was nearly to the bed, the blood on the walls had reached the drapes and now the   
white drapes were spotted with blood.  
"#Dead spirits, dead memories, you have no business here! I HAVE NO QUARREL WITH YOU! LEAVE ME ALONE!#"  
The screaming stopped, the couple were gone, the blood had vanished. Zel's clothes were clean and fresh again.  
The vanity, he had noticed, had been untouched during the whole affair. He went up to it and looked into it. It   
was an ordinary mirror reflecting an ordinary room. The frame was of ivy leaves and hearts. It was polished cherry   
wood. Zel ran his hand along the frame. The reflection clouded...  
  
*** ***  
  
His "guardians" were in another wing when they heard his screams. They rushed to the source of his voice.  
"Please, don't say he's hurt himself," Amelia thought. They went into an abandoned hallway. Amelia did not want to   
be in this hallway. The reason for her distaste of the hall was at the end of the hall was her sister's old bedroom, it   
was now untouched mostly, except during its yearly dusting. It was in that room that her mother had died. She hoped Zel   
had not picked that room to entertain himself.  
Lina and Gourry swiftly opened and banged shut the other rooms that were unused. All were empty of any   
children. When they reached the last door, Amelia stopped them, "He wouldn't be in there."  
"Why not?" Gourry asked.  
"Because..."  
"Never mind, I'm going in and he better be in here," Lina scowled. She swung open the door and found Zel looking   
intently into a vanity mirror.  
"You can admire yourself later, do you know...?" Lina never finished. She found that Zel was not admiring himself   
since his reflection did not show and neither did hers. What he was so intently watching was a man with a dagger stabbing   
a woman with black curly hair. Blood was spewing everywhere. Somewhere off the field of vision shown from the mirror,   
someone was casting a spell. This was only known because a shot of light shot from a side and hit the man. Blood   
splattered on the wall and a few drops landed on the mirror's surface.  
"Oh Gods..."  
The other two had also come in. Gourry's face was a mask of horror and disgust. Amelia's face wore a mask of   
sadness and fury. She grabbed Zel by the shoulders and turned him to face her, while screaming, "How dare you enter   
this room and show us this? To torture me?! I hate you!" Sobbing, she ran out of the room. Zel, after a moment of   
hesitation, quietly followed.  
  
*** ***  
  
Amelia went to the library to have a good cry, "I thought I would never have to watch that again. I hate him."  
"#There was good stuff, too.#" Zel's tiny voice interrupted.  
Amelia lifted her head out of her hands. Zel had his hand on her knee, looking up at her with naive child eyes.   
She sharply snapped, "Don't try that being cute trick on me! It's not going to work!" Zel said nothing. Amelia shoved   
Zel's hand off her knee and stood. She strode over to the window. She noticed where the new wall had been placed after   
Zel so carelessly blew it up. She scowled. She wasn't even in any danger at the time! She said to Zel, "Don't say you   
understand how I feel, because you don't!" She turned to him. Part of her was distressed that she was screaming at   
some poor kid that didn't even understand death yet, much less assassination. "You're just some stupid kid who grew   
into an uncaring, cowardly adult. He wanted too much of what he didn't feel like earning and deserve every torment he   
gets. So, don't you dare try the cute trick!"  
"#Who was the curly haired lady?#"  
"My mother! Alright! My mother was killed by an assassin hired by one of my late uncles! Why am I even   
bothering?! This going straight over your head and it's not like you care, you selfish brat!" She again turned to the   
window.  
"#Was she raped, too?#"  
That caught Amelia off guard, "What did you say?"  
"#Was she raped?#"  
"Where did you find out what rape is?"  
"#Nowhere.#"  
"Don't you lie to me! Tell me where you found out about   
rape!"  
"#One time I was at Grandpapa's house and I heard a woman screaming, calling, 'Rezo! Rezo! Help me!' and I ran   
to the source of the screaming and there some blue haired lady I had never seen before and there was this man...   
rubbing her up and down. And she was screaming and no one came so I got my Grandpapa to help but when I brought him   
there... he asked why I brought him there, he seemed confused. So, I got Mama and told her about the lady. But   
everyone said there was no lady, no one was screaming but she was still there, she was still screaming, and the man   
was taking her nightgown off and was taking a knife out and he was shouting too, 'Shut the hell up! Shut up you little   
whore!' And I told them what the man was saying and... Grandpapa slapped me and asked where I heard those words and   
I told him, 'Just now! Just now!' But then they were gone. Mama told Grandpapa I probably had an overactive imagination   
and to go to sleep. When he was gone, she told me she believed me and that woman and man were really there and I   
was not a bad boy. Then she told this little chant I should say when I see things that no one else can see and they will   
go away. Then I asked Mama what the man was doing and she said, kind of soft, 'He was raping her, honey. That means he   
was forcing her to play a game that married people play when she didn't want to play.' I found out that the woman I saw   
was really my great-grandmother and she died the way I saw.#"  
Amelia sat in silence, absorbing all Zel had told her.  
"#When I went into that room, with the mirror, I thought it was weird because it was not musty or covered   
with white sheets. When I got in, blood got on my shirt and blood was on the door and it grew and spread all over the   
walls and I got blood on my pants. I tried getting on the bed but I was pinned down and suddenly there was a man   
there, holding a dagger. I rolled off and I saw the curly haired lady. Then I said the chant and they went away. The   
blood too. When I touched the mirror, I saw things. Past things. Ghosts of strong emotions. Not ghosts themselves,   
just imprints of their emotions.#" Zel looked at Amelia. She said nothing. "#You think I am lying, right? Rezo looked at   
me the same way when I told him about the lady.#" He began to cry, "#I do not know why I see things! I do not want to   
see them, they are scary. They always seem to be screaming. Why do I have to be the only one to see these people? Why do   
they come after me?!#" He ran for Amelia's lap and Amelia put his head on her lap, "I believe you. Children never lie.   
I'm sorry I yelled at you. I miss my mother very much and I didn't want to see her being killed again. I never fully   
recovered from the experience." She stroked his hair, "I won't tell anyone what you told me, unless you want me to.   
Do you want me to?"  
"#No.#"  
"You mentioned 'good stuff'. What did you mean by that?"  
"#Good memories. People laughing and playing.#"  
"Show me."  
They got up and left the library just as Lina was entering   
the library.  
"Amelia? Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine. Zel said there was other things in the mirror. Want to come see?" Amelia didn't wait for her   
answer, just continued onward towards the dreaded room.  
Gourry ran up and looked from Amelia to Lina. Lina shrugged and gestured that they should follow.  
  
*** ***  
  
Zel ran his hand along the wooden frame of the mirror. The rest of them were sitting on the bed, staring intently.   
The image fogged up and suddenly cleared.  
In the mirror was a young man. He had black hair and the early stages of a tiny mustache. He was thin and fragile   
looking.   
"Is that...?" Lina asked.  
"Yup, that's my Daddy!" He was trying and failing to tie his bowtie. An older woman entered the frame, turning   
Younger Phil towards her. She was speaking to him, her face showing joy and calm. She tied his bowtie. She picked up a   
comb and combed his hair. The woman said something. Phil responded. They laughed. Phil said something else, his face   
serious, questioning. The woman responded, her mouth forming "Fine, fine. Don't worry." Phil looked relieved. Phil bowed   
to the woman. The woman curtsied to him. They smiled at each other.   
The mirror fogged.   
"#The next part is kind of boring. I do not think you really want to...#"  
"We're seeing everything," Amelia responded. Zel sighed and averted his eyes.  
The image cleared. It was night. Phil was in the bed.  
He apparently wasn't wearing a shirt. He had a very nice torso.  
"Your Dad was a stud! What happened?" Lina said.  
"Miss Lina!"  
His hands were covering his eyes. His mouth formed, "Can I look?" He pouted. He stuck his tongue out.   
"What is he doing?" Lina asked. Amelia shrugged. Gourry's eyes went wide, "I think we should skip this one,   
guys."  
"No! We're watching all of it! I don't care if you're bored."  
Phil waited. He tried to stretch his back. He smiled and uncovered his eyes. His eyes bugged out. His mouth   
formed, "Where?" He was probably shouting it but it was silent so they couldn't tell. Zel covered his ears.  
"Can you hear them?" Gourry asked.  
"#Yes.#" He nodded.  
"Well, tell us what he's saying!" Lina ordered.  
"#He just said 'Where'.#" Amelia translated as he spoke.  
Phil was stifling laughter.  
"#A woman just said, 'I am not your wife. I am Gracia, the White Serpent! You are now my captive!' He says, 'Gracia?  
I have never heard of you.'#"   
Phil was crossing his arms, apparently playing along.  
"#She says, 'Never heard of me? I am Gracia, the mighty warlady! You should be honored to be captured by the   
beautiful Gracia, the White Serpent!'#"  
Phil cocked his head, looking at the invisible speaker out of the corner of his eye.  
"#He says, 'Well, I am. But what shall you do to me?' She says, 'Make you my slave, of course!'#"  
Phil cocked his head to the other side, his eyebrows rose up.  
"He says, 'Slave? Like do your cleaning and such?' She laughs. I can not do the laugh for you. It is painful to   
hear though. She says, 'No! How barbaric! You shall be my love slave! You shall be the father of all my children and I   
will have many.'#"  
Phil puts a dramatic hand to his chest and melodramatically pretends to be faint.  
"#He says, 'Oh, what a cursed fate! I must be forced to lie with you every night and produce children with you. Oh,   
the horror!' She laughs. She says, 'Now, you shall know the mighty will of Gracia, the White Serpent!'#"  
The speaker came into the frame. It was a curly haired woman, she was laughing.   
"Mom... Mommy?"Amelia asked.  
Amelia's mother (for indeed, it was she) was wearing a leather bikini with skulls on it. She was rather well-  
endowed, although not as much as her first born daughter, and the leather bikini made that rather obvious. Especially   
to Gourry.  
"Whoa..."  
Lina hit him while Amelia screamed, "That's my MOTHER!"  
"She looks nice! It flatters her very well! I was admiring the...uh,... craftsmanship!"  
Lina took a second look at the "nicely crafted" bikini. Where had she seen that before?  
Lina jumped up, standing on the bed, "Oh my Gods! I've seen that bikini before! I traveled with someone who wore a   
bikini just like that! Skulls and everything! How did two completely unrelated people have the same outfit? And same   
nickname! They both call themselves, 'The White Serpent'! This is too weird!"  
Amelia stared at her mother, "That can't be her! She never dressed like... that! She never acted like that! She   
was a wonderful, timid person who wore beautiful dresses that covered most of her body! Who is this strange woman?"  
"#Gracia, the White Serpent.#"  
"Gracia" had walked over to the bed, obviously describing Phil's "torture" to him while put his hand to his   
forehead, melodramatically, pretending to bemoan his "horrible fate".  
"Gracia" laughed. She struck a ordering pose, obviously giving him commands since he was her "slave". Phil clasped   
his hands and made a big show for demanding something else. She looked insulted and pointed at his nose, repeating the   
order and turning her back to him. Phil suddenly looked honestly gleeful and started untying the top part.  
"AAAAAAAA!!! I don't want to see this! I don't want to see how we were conceived!!!!"  
"#I warned you.#" Zel stroked the frame again and the image clouded to everyone's relief.  
The image cleared. It was dark. Bumps were moving under the sheets...  
"NEXT!"  
The image clouded. The image cleared. It was something they didn't want to see. They went through five such events.  
As the last image clouded, Gourry said, "Well, at least, you know your parents had a really good relationship!"  
The image cleared. Amelia's mother was sitting on the bed, combing her hair. Phil's backs would peek from the   
bottom of the frame.   
"He's probably doing push-ups," Lina reasoned.  
She was smiling and looked down.  
"#She says, 'I have a surprise for you.' He says, 'What?'#"  
She laughed. "#She says, 'It would not be a surprise if I tell you. Guess.' He says, 'You are going to have a   
baby.'#"  
She looked disappointed.  
"#She says, 'How did you know?' He says, 'Simple. You have not used magic in a while. I know you were not having   
your "womanlies" so I asked Entela what else makes women lose magic. One, curses. Two, babies. I guessed the better   
of the two.'#"   
Phil got up. He looked like the Phil they all knew. He picked up Amelia's mother and swung her a little, but stopped,   
realizing that spinning could be dangerous.  
The couple kissed and ran out.  
The image clouded. The image cleared.  
There were maids all around the bed.  
"#She is screaming. It sounds like she is in pain. And she hates 'Phil'.#"  
"Skip this!"  
Image clouded and cleared. The new mother held a baby, Phil was looking at it. He picked it up. Its face contorted   
into a crying face and started kicking its feet. Amelia's mother wore a mixed face of sympathy and amusement.  
The image clouded and cleared. There were few more "unmentionable activities", shots of Mother reading to   
Gracia, Father tickling Gracia, Amelia's mother explaining to an unexpectingly excited Gracia that she was going to   
have another child. Shot of labor (which they skipped), shots of Gracia and Amelia playing hide and seek with their   
mother pretending not to see them, shots of the three jumping on the bed, shots of their mother telling them "not   
to judge of book by its cover", shots of Gracia being applauded for doing a light spell for her very tired parents   
very early in the morning right into their faces. Almost all were pleasant and made Amelia very sad.   
As Amelia's mother was finishing telling the moral of a story, Zel said, "#The next one is the scary one. I will   
stop now.#" He tapped the mirror and regain its normal conditions. Zel turned to Amelia, "#Why are you crying?#"  
"Master Zelgadis, I am crying because I miss my mother and sister very much. I wish we could have moments like that   
again but I know we will not. I'm not sad. I'm happy that I was able to see these things again." She stood up, "We   
should finish planning our trip to Hayla." She went to the door and opened it. The others walked through and she added,   
"Could you not mention that we were in here or what we saw in the mirror to my Daddy?"  
"Sure thing."  
"No problem."  
"#He can not understand me anyway.#"  
"Thanks a lot."  
The door closed with a hollow click.  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's Notes: How did you like my allusion to Naga? I'd like to thank Pairaka for writing "Desperado" because now I   
don't have use the "S" word. C&C are welcome and needed at destinyplot@lycos.com!  
  
  
  



	8. Expected

Chapter Eight: Expected  
  
"There! It's done! We have a route!" Lina screamed   
after having an all-nighter with the map to Hayla. Red lines   
criss-crossed over the page, almost making the map   
unreadable.  
"Great. Too bad we can't see Hayla any more," Gourry   
remarked.  
"You, shut up. It's there, I can see it." Lina then   
fell on her face and slept, snoring.  
"#Why are you people in such a big hurry? Hayla is not   
going to run away.#" Zel asked Gourry. Gourry looked at him   
blankly, "#Never mind.#"  
  
*** ***  
  
The next morning, Amelia said farewell to her father,   
made up some excuse about finding Master Zelgadis' birth   
parents and ran away as fast as she could without looking   
suspicious.  
"I am so happy that we don't have to spent another   
night there. One week is too much," Lina whined. Gourry had   
dragged her out of bed, regardless of her protests. "You   
said you wanted to leave and be gone by 9! It's now 10!"   
After Lina had gotten dressed, eaten, and moaned and groaned   
at Gourry for being unreasonable, they left at 11:30am.  
As they were heading towards the gates, they ran into   
the Millay shepherds. "Are you taking him to Hayla? How are   
going to explain what happened to him?" Michelle asked,   
rubbing Zel's hair.  
"We're in a really big hurry, so if you don't mind,"   
Lina said, grabbing Zel out from under Michelle's touch and   
tossing him to Amelia. She grabbed Gourry's arm and led him   
out, heading north. The shepherds continued walking, but   
they headed south. The children were still singing their   
little song. Zel chimed in (in his own language) at various   
lines that he knew.  
After the song of the children had faded and Saillune   
had become a dot, Gourry asked, "Hey, Lina? What _are_ we   
going to tell his relatives about what happened to him?"  
"Um... well... I'll think of something to say," Lina   
brushed it off.  
"Miss Lina, couldn't we just tell them the truth?"   
Amelia asked.  
"Amelia," Gourry answered before Lina could, "if you   
were sitting in your room one day and three people you've   
never met come in with a six-year-old and tell you it is   
your long lost relative, wouldn't you be a little dubious?"  
"Well, I guess..."  
Lina added, "Look, his aunt is not a moron. She is not   
going to believe we say. We have to prove to her that he is   
Zel."  
"But, Amelia's got a point. Honesty is the best policy.   
Maybe she'll know him on sight. Maybe she'll believe us..."   
Gourry tapped his chin with his forefinger.  
"Maybe she'll call the men in white suits to take us   
away. If I was her, I would not believe us," Lina replied.  
"But what are we going to say to her, Miss Lina? It   
will do us no good if we lie because then she can't help   
us!" Amelia cried.  
"I'm voting for just telling the truth. There's an off-  
chance she'll believe us," Gourry raised his hand and Amelia   
raised hers. "You're out-voted, we're going to tell her the   
truth."  
  
*** ***  
  
It took a week to get to Hayla. Hayla was on the coast   
of the Gulf of Cephied which, apparently, looked like   
Cephied's head. Some say during the War of the Monsters, he   
had fallen during one of the battles, but not the Big   
Battle, and left an imprint of his head.  
To the north of Hayla was the endless desert,   
Firebrand, to the south was flatlands. It was very hot but   
not as hot as the Firebrand desert. It was a trade port,   
smelling of spices and dried fruit.   
There were fortune-teller booths and snake charmers.   
Preachers of minor religions preached of ever-lasting   
torment to those who didn't convert. Exotic animals were   
seen from cages, nearly hidden in the darkness of the tents   
they were sold from. Prostitutes stood in barely nothing   
(actually, lots of women were in barely nothing. Went up to   
the 100s in this place), tattooed with faux religious   
symbols, offering their "wares" to the men walking in the   
streets. Upper class prostitutes stood outside whorehouses,   
telling men what kind of "entertainment" they could get, and   
at what cost.   
Lina glared at Gourry, daring him to say something.   
Gourry simply kept walking. He had no desire to go to one of   
those places. His father, when he had reached puberty,   
strictly told him, under no uncertain terms, that men who   
went to those places, "Are lower than spit. The women can't   
help it, they have no where to go so they must offer it to   
live, much like a milkmaid must milk cows to live. The men   
who go there, they do not need it. They are selfish and   
encouraging bad behavior. If they need it so bad, they   
should just find a girl, court her and marry her, like the   
rest of us!"  
Of course, there were worse wares than what the   
prostitutes were selling. In dark alleys, men and, yes, even   
women sold "Dream Teas" and "Dreamer's Sugar" and other such   
things. There was no person, no matter how young, that could   
not buy one of these products for under a gold. Indecent,   
yes, but they were only selling because people were buying.   
Supply always depends on demand.  
While Lina glared, Gourry ignored the women and Amelia   
resisted the urge to either throw up or crawl on to some   
high pinnacle and make the citizens abandon their evil ways,   
a man was escorting a woman back to work after lunch.  
The man was talking, "Is she creeping you out or it is   
just me?"  
The woman replied, "You know how your mother is. I'm   
used to it, don't worry. Geez, I should be the complaining,   
not you."  
"But, it's not like the other times. It's different."  
"But you never had proof that he was dead. Maybe she's   
right. Maybe he is coming."  
"Yeah, that I understand that but what's up with 'he   
will learn to be one with innocence.' I just don't   
understand."  
"I'm just an Earth shamanist. I don't understand   
fortune telling any more than you do. What do you want me to   
say?" Someone bumped into her. She turned to scold but she   
found her very guilty looking brother-in-law.  
"Where's the fire, Malcolm?" She asked.  
Malcolm was about ten years old (though he claimed to   
eleven). He had fiery red hair with brown eyes. He was   
tanned, as was everyone here, but he was dusty as well. He   
wore white capri-style pants with goat leather sandals. His   
sleeve less shirt, which was white, had turned into a slight   
beige from dirt and dust. There was sand in his hair, which   
he was currently trying to shake out.  
"Nowhere. I had to get somethin' for Mam, dried fruit   
from that stand over there. Did I interrupt an intimate   
moment?" He replied, mockingly. The couple had been married   
for a year and they were still in the lovey-dovey newlywed   
phase.  
"No, you didn't, so take that smug look of your face.   
One day, you're going to like girls and I'll torment you   
about it." His brother, whose name was Jeremy, slapped him   
on the rump.  
Malcolm soothe his raw hide with a minor healing spell   
and replied, "Never, never, never. They're too much work.   
Can I go now?" And before the newlyweds had time to reply,   
he was off. His sister-in-law, Elise, just shook her head   
and headed to the pottery shop.  
Malcolm made his way to the fruit cart and ordered the   
dried fruit that his mother needed. As an afterthought, he   
bought some banana chips with the left-over money, "Eh, I'll   
just tell Mam that the prices changed today."  
As he worked out exactly what he would say, he was   
toppled by an unseen force.  
"AAAAA! I'm being killed! Help me! I'll give you my   
banana chips, just let me go!"  
"Yllaer?" The attacker asked then reached over to grab   
the bag of banana chips but Malcolm flipped over and pinned   
his attacker down. He became quite embarrassed when he   
realized he was being mauled by a six-year-old.  
"Geez, even a dog would have been honorable. Nothing   
more embarrassing that getting killed by a little munchkin."   
He got off him. He could hear some mother calling her son.   
The boy held out his hand, "Spihc ananab."  
"I don't understand you, kid. Leave me alone." The boy   
got up and kicked Malcolm in the shins. "Hey! Cut that out."  
"Spihc ananab! Spihc ananab tnaw i!"  
"Stop kicking me!"  
"Spihc ananab em evig won, Rej, spihc ananab evah dluoc   
i dias uoy!"  
"I don't understand you! Leave me alone!"  
"He wants your banana chips," a feminine voice   
answered. Malcolm turned around. He looked up at a teenage   
girl with short black hair and blue eyes. She was sweating   
quite profusely.  
"Oh," he answered, tossing the little boy the chips,   
which he began to eat.  
"What is your name?" The girl asked.  
"Malcolm, I'm eleven."  
"#No, he is not.#"  
"I don't believe you," The girl responded.  
"Oh, fine, I'm ten. I'm turning eleven in two months!"  
"#No, no, no. His name is not Malcolm. He is Jer.#"  
"No," The girl replied, shaking her head, "I know that   
your name is Jer."  
"Jer? You mean as in Jeremy?" Malcolm asked, wondering   
what exactly the boy behind him was saying, "because, if you   
mean that, Jeremy is my older brother."  
"#Jer does not have an older brother.#"  
"But Master Malcolm does!" Amelia said the boy, "Does   
Jer have a little brother?"  
"#No. He is an only child.#"  
"What are you two talking about? I've never even met   
this kid!"  
"We're looking for someone," The girl replied, "his   
family, exactly."  
"Well, I know a lot of people. Some might be missing   
kids."  
"No, I mean, his relatives. His parents," the girl then   
whispered, as if not to scare the little boy, "are dead.   
We're looking for his aunt."  
"Well, maybe Jeremy can help. Or maybe my Mam can help,   
she's a fortune teller. But I'm not sure, she's been going   
on about how our missing cousin is coming back to visit 'to   
find his innocence' or something like that."  
"Well, we can always use some..." The girl began but   
Jeremy came up, "Flirting with girls already? You sure got   
out of that 'Anti-Girls' phase real quick..."  
"Jer! She's looking for this kid's," Malcolm pointed to   
the little boy, "aunt. Know of anyone whose got a missing   
nephew?"  
"Well, Mam does."  
"He's twenty-four, you idiot, not six! And, besides, he's   
not even her real nephew."   
"He isn't?" The girl interrupted, "I thought he was   
your cousin."  
"Nah," Malcolm answered, "it's sort of complicated. My   
Mam and his Da were cousins so he's like our second cousin,   
once removed or something. We just call him 'cousin' because   
he used to call my Mam 'auntie'. Easier for both parties."  
"But," Jeremy aid, kneeling to the boy's sitting   
height, "he looks a lot like him. You know, at his age."  
"But, it's not him, so get off it. Don't you have to   
work?"  
"What's it to you?"  
The girl cut in, "Your cousin. What was his name?"  
Jeremy responded, "Zelgadis. I can't believe they named   
him that, he must've been teased..."  
"I knew it! I've found your cousin!"  
"You have? Where?"  
"Right here. This boy is Master Zelgadis!"  
There was a pause. A tumbleweed rolled past them.   
Malcolm clapped slowly.  
"Uh... our cousin is twenty-four years old. I was kidding   
around," Jeremy laughed nervously.  
"But, it is! Look, you have to believe me! Master   
Zelgadis was going to commit suicide but we found his note   
before he did it and we got in and some weird woman was   
there and she kissed him and then she changed appearance and   
there was a silent screaming woman in the mirror and the   
kissing woman grew wings and she left but Master Zelgadis   
had been turned into a six year old and I'm the only one who   
can understand him. You have to believe me. We don't know   
what to do. We need to find his family so he can have a   
normal life. And that's it."  
Another pause. A prostitute was thanking a happy   
customer nearby.  
"O---kay. So, our twenty-four year old cousin, according to   
you, has been turned into a little six year old," Malcolm   
said in his "I'm-ten-nearly-eleven-years-old-so-I-know-  
everything-there-is-to-know" voice.  
"What's this with you being the only one to understand   
him?" Jeremy asked.  
"He's speak this odd language but it sounds normal to   
my ears. At first, I couldn't understand but after I kissed   
him good-night about two weeks ago, I could understand."  
"Hey," Jeremy said to the little boy, "say something."  
"Gnihtemos."  
"Say something else."  
"Esle gnihtemos."  
"It is him! I remember this goofy language too. I'll   
show you where my mother works. Come on."  
"Wait! I have to call my friends!" The girl rushed to a   
couple buying some meat product. The red-haired woman sighed   
in exhaustion but the larger, blonde man sighed in relief.  
The girl brought them over and introduced the pair to   
the couple.  
"I'm Lina," The red-haired woman said, "and he's   
Gourry," she added before he could open his mouth. Gourry   
frowned then lightened up.  
"Oh, dear, I forgot, I'm Amelia."  
"Amelia? You mean as is Princess Amelia of Saillune?"  
"That's right."  
"I'm surprised. I never thought Saillunians would go to   
Hayla," Jeremy said, then his voice went to a higher pitch,   
"It's so corrupt!" Amelia blushed and Malcolm realized she   
probably had thought that at some point.  
They went to a block of fortune telling booths and went   
pass most of them until they reached a very fine booth. For   
one thing, it wasn't a tent. It was a small, white-washed,   
flat-top building. It looked pretty permanent. They could   
see dark red curtains on the inside of the window, most   
likely to give privacy.  
The door was wood, painted red and had "Fortune teller:   
Gifted in tarot, palm, tea leaves, and meditation. Business   
days: Mon-Thur from 9am to 7pm, Fri-Sat from 9am to 10:30am,   
Sun from 10am to 3pm. Exorcisms only on Sundays, first come,   
first serve basis."  
Jeremy opened the door and the bell jingled. It was   
dark. There were one or two lavender scented candles   
burning. A woman with golden hair with red streaks in the   
strands sat at a small, round table. To her right were   
various decks of tarot cards, to her left were tea leaves in   
a porcelain bowl with a cup next to it. In the back, there   
was a bookcases with a few fortune-telling books with some   
white magic books to fill up space. There was no crystal   
ball (having a ball is a sure sign that the teller is a   
fraud. Every fortune teller knows that those things never   
work!).  
All in all, it was very cryptic.  
The woman raised her head and looked, it seemed,   
straight into Amelia's eyes, "I've been expecting you."  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author Notes: I love banana chips. I want some right now.   
C&C are needed at destinyplot@lycos.com.  



	9. Vision

Chapter Nine: Vision  
  
The house that "aunty" actually dwelled in was actually kind of boring. It was two-level white washed house (as was   
every house. You barely can tell one house from another) with a flat roof. There were two windows in the front,   
facing the street. The Dutch door was undecorated and not fancy in any respect.  
Zel's "aunty" was named Veronica, or Madame Vanda by her customers, Scylla (by marriage) and owned the little   
house. She opened the door with an unlocking spell. She said to their shocked faces, "Learned it before it got banned.   
It's handy."  
"No, actually, I was amazed that you can actually do magic," Lina answered, "I've never met a fortune teller that   
was an actual magic-user."  
"Magic-users have to eat, especially when they have children."  
"That's not what I meant..."  
"I'm still insulted. I could put a hex on you, you know. Don't try me. But do try my tea." Veronica led them   
inside.  
The first thing they noticed was how cool it was inside, "Man, you put an air-cooling spell on your HOUSE?"   
Lina asked.  
"It's hot in Hayla. I'm not going to roast to death," Veronica put a kettle on the stove, she lit the stove with a   
Flare Carrot.  
"Um... how is she making the house cool?" Gourry asked.  
"Gourry, you know how magic-users' capes sometime blow for no reason?"  
"Yeah."  
"It's powered by the spell that Veronica on her house, which is pretty impressive considering it can only cool a   
small area and it has to be re-cast every ten minutes."  
"Actually, I have several stones that reflect the spell all over my house, over and over. I couldn't turn it off   
even if I wanted to."  
Zel looked at his surroundings. All the toys that were supposed to out for his visits were gone. He tugged on   
Amelia's damp shirt, "#Ask Aunty for my toys.#"  
"He wants his toys," Amelia translated for the others.  
"You can understand him?" Veronica asked, not looking the least bit startled, almost as if she were asking, "So,   
there are clouds in the sky today, I assume?"  
"Ye-ee-ah. I really don't know why... I really can't explain..."  
"Oh, just checking." Veronica poured tea and silently offered sugar and honey.  
Lina lashed back, " 'Oh, just checking.' What the hell does that mean?"   
Before Veronica could respond, Amelia remembered how Veronica had seemed to look straight to into her eyes   
when she said she had been expecting them, "Were you... actually expecting us in particular?"  
"Give the girl a cookie!" Veronica threw up her arms as if she was dealing with complete idiots, "yes, I've been   
expecting you for weeks! I'm a fortune teller, for crying out loud. It's my job to see into the future! You think I   
don't see random future events? I saw Zelgadis' birth when his father had just been born, I saw his father's death   
before his mother had coughed once, I saw Zelgadis' change into a chimera before he could spell his own name, I saw   
Rezo's death when he was still working on discovering what was afflicting his daughter-in-law, I can see your   
grandchildren's spouses as you stand there, glaring at me. Yes, I have been expecting you for quite some time."   
Veronica took a couple of deep breaths, "Sorry, I just find it frustrating when people don't understand I can see into   
the future and can predict the comings and goings of strangers."  
"If you saw all these horrible things," Amelia asked, "Why did you never warn others about them?"  
"What would be the point? People don't like hearing about those things. Also, I only get flashes of random   
images. Sometimes, I misinterpret those images. Besides, no future is set in stone. Everyone thinks that whatever they   
do, the fortune teller's word is final. But, as long as you breathe, it is never final."  
"But how do you see it if it isn't final?"  
"The images I see are images of what will happen if everything goes the way it has been going. Every day, you   
make choices. To get up or to lay in bed all day. Your future can depend on that one decision. If you get up, you   
may choose to have breakfast or to not have breakfast. If you choose to eat breakfast, you have to decide between eggs   
or bread. If you eat eggs, and they're not cooked enough, you'll spend rest of the day being ill. If you eat bread,   
you'll be fine and perhaps go horse-back riding. If you take one path, you might hit a beehive and get stung. And so on."  
"That must be nerve-wracking," Gourry commented.  
"It is. Anyway, back to what you were asking, yes, I have been expecting you. I already know what your problem   
is." She turned to her children and daughter-in-law, "Now do you understand what I have been saying the past week?"  
"This is so screwed up," was all Malcolm had to say on the topic. Veronica turned back to her audience, "But I   
don't know the details. Will you please recount?"  
"Um... sure, well, one night, we heard Zel screaming and it woke us up," Lina said, "I found a suicide note..."  
"Heard this."  
Lina's face fell, "Well, excuse me! Anyway, we went to his room and there was this purple-haired woman with blue   
eyes, she was wearing this white robe..."  
"Zelgadis' mother, yes..."  
"She looked at us and kind of shrugged her shoulders like we weren't important and kissed him on the lips. She   
suddenly changed into a green-eyed blonde woman and wings sprouted out through the robe. But in the mirror, the other   
woman was still there and she was obviously screaming and crying but we couldn't hear her. Anyway, the blonde woman   
dropped Zel and he gradually turned into a little kid and the blonde woman said to the mirror woman, 'You can't   
protect him forever' then said to Zel, 'See you soon, my Prince' and they both disappeared. So, we couldn't   
understand him at all but one night, Amelia tucked him..."  
"Heard this and that is quite enough. The blonde woman. I've met her."  
Gourry responded with shock, "Really? How?"  
"Well, minus the wings, you described one of Zelgadis' aunts, the oldest one, mother's side. She had three sisters,   
his mother was the youngest. Apparently, Victoria, his mother, was adopted too."  
"What's up with the wings?" Gourry asked, impatient.  
"I don't know. All I know is that Victoria's family had greatly opposed the marriage and hated Rezo and Zelgadis'   
father with a passion."  
"Must run in the family," Lina mused. Veronica laughed.  
"Wish it was just that. They thought that Rezo was no one special and didn't understand why he received so much   
praise. 'We've seen a million of men and women just like him and sometimes better. We are not impressed.' Her mother told   
my father that personally when he had asked about her coldness."  
"She sounds like the life of the party," Gourry joked.  
"No kidding, she even scared me. I never saw Victoria's relatives after the wedding. As far as I know, they never   
once came to visit, not even when Zelgadis was born. It was as if they denied their relationship with her. I felt sorry   
for her, seeing her rejected like that, but it didn't seem to bother her." She sighed and looked distant, as if she   
could see Victoria behind her audience, "but that was a long time ago and they're all gone, except Zelgadis, but even he   
is a shadow of former self." For some reason, Amelia knew that she was not referring to their current problem.  
"Can you help us?" Amelia asked.  
"I believe so. Ever heard the saying, 'Ignorance is bliss'? I know that Zelgadis' intention was to stop hurting,   
his aunt fixed that problem by turning him back to a time before all his problems started.  
But Zelgadis of today can not be destroyed completely, only separated into base parts. What you call him 'being   
transformed' is really him 'being split', leaving only Zelgadis of childhood here. The question is: where did the   
rest of him go? Though you may not realize it, Zelgadis of childhood still is connected to the other parts making up   
Zelgadis of today. Using Zelgadis of childhood, I can find those other parts and you three can find a way to put them   
back together."  
"Us? How are we supposed to do that?" Lina demanded.  
"I've foreseen it. You will, that's all that matters."  
"But no future is written in stone, you even said that!"  
"Yes, but even paper lasts for quite some time."  
"What if he doesn't want to be turned back?" Amelia asked, "What if as soon as we fix him, he'll just go back   
and kill himself?"  
"Amelia, that is a very kind thought but personally, I don't think he has a choice right now. Call me cynical, but   
I don't think his aunt did this out of the kindness of her heart. Remember? 'You can't protect him forever'? Sounds   
like she has a plan in store for Zelgadis. I think the only way it will work is if he is in this condition."  
"Figures. Why can't relatives be nice for a change?" Lina moaned.  
"Anyway," Veronica said, shooting Lina down, "I will need to get into Zelgadis' subconscious to find what we are   
looking for." She rose and motioned for Zel to come and take her hand. He took it (after dropping the pot he had been   
playing with) and followed to a sliding door.  
Veronica slid the door to the right and entered. There was nothing inside, except an incense stand. She put a stick   
in the holder and lit it. She told Zel to sit, which he did and poked her head out, "Don't come in and don't make loud   
noises. For this to work I need complete silence. So, go outside or something." She closed the door and sat down in   
front of Zel, "Now, just relax and keep your mouth shut."   
She closed her eyes and she heard Zel lay down, sighing. She entered the Astral Plane.  
  
*** ***  
  
Veronica found herself standing next to a standing Zel. He didn't seem frightened or confused. His face was neutral,   
his arms crossed. It was twilight and a gentle mist from a nearby sea frosted the scene, though there was no water in   
sight. It was a quaint town. Simple townhouses with a few candles on in the windows. Obviously, some people were   
awake.  
It was very quiet and Zel said, "Do you hear that?" Veronica was not surprised that she could understand him. It   
wasn't really him, just an image of him, a representation.  
"No, I hear nothing."  
"The air is waiting. If you listen carefully, you can hear the vibrato of nature's wait. Listen."  
She did hear something but it didn't sound like a vibrato of anything. It was panic-stricken sobbing. She   
looked past the fog and saw a dirty woman holding a baby in a bundle. She was obviously running from something. She   
looked around, panting, clenching the baby to her chest.   
Looking for escape.   
Veronica suddenly heard singing but she knew no one was actually singing:  
  
Gabhaim molta Bride  
Ionmhain i le hEirinn  
Ionmhain le gach tir i  
Molaimis go leir i  
  
"She's running from something," Zel said plainly.  
"But from what?" Veronica asked.  
"We shall see."  
The woman's hair was noticeably coming out of place. Her dress was mud-stained and clung to her ankles. She banged on   
a door, "Please! Help me! There's a man following me! He wants to kill me! He has a knife! Please, provide me shelter!"   
But the candle that had been lit in the window, went dark. No one answered.  
  
Lochrann geal na Laighneach  
'Soilsiu feadh na tire  
Ceann ar oghaibh Eireann  
Ceann na mban ar mine  
  
Again and again, the woman banged on the doors but no one came and the candles, one by one went dark. The woman   
sobbed in the street, looking helpless and scared.  
  
Tig an gheimhreadh dian dubh  
Gearrdh lena gheire  
Ach ar La 'le Bride  
Gar duinn Earrach Eireann  
  
Suddenly, the shape of a man appeared out of nothing. He made no sound as he walked. The woman turned around and   
her eyes went wide. She held her baby tighter. Veronica could see the shine of a knife blade.  
  
Brighid of the sunrise  
Rising in the morning  
Rising with the Springtime  
Greening all the land  
  
"What do you want from me?" The woman gasped, nearly sobbing. The man said nothing. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?! Leave me   
be!" The man stepped closer but paused in his tracks.  
  
See you in the soft cloud  
See you in the raindrop  
See you in the winds of change  
Blowing through the land  
  
Seeing her chance, the woman turned her back on the man and ran. But suddenly, the man was right behind but Veronica   
did not see him move from Point A to Point B. He took out   
the knife and cleanly slit the woman's throat.   
She turned around and gurgled, "Why?"  
The man responded, "That is a secret." The woman fell head first, crushing the infant.  
Zel turned to his right and ran. Veronica ran after him but he was suddenly so fast.   
  
You the red eared white cow  
Nourishing the people  
Nourish now the hunger  
Souls longing in our land  
  
He ran away from the town and into the thick underbrush. Veronica ran after him, screaming, "Why did you   
show me that? What meaning does it have to you?" Zel did not answer, only laughed as he ran.   
They ran for what seemed like hours in the forest. Veronica's robe was now in tatters. Eventually, they came to   
a riverbank but the river was murky and green. Zel ran through the river. When he in the river, skeletal hands with   
bits of decaying flesh reached out for him, ripping his pants. But Zel was undaunted and ran through them. Veronica   
had to follow him and she too jumped in the river and the hands pulled at her as well. Their faces were of dead family   
members and dead husbands. She screamed in horror and nausea gripped her. She ran past them as well but didn't fail to   
notice that they had slashed at her legs.  
Zel was still running. His destination was now apparent. It was a temple with pillars in the front and many   
steps leading up to two double doors that were taller than a man.  
Veronica followed him but when she reached the foot of the staircase, she found she could move no further from that   
spot. Zel, however, had continued upwards and had mysteriously been able to open the doors.  
  
Bird that is unfolding  
Now the time's upon us  
Only have we eyes to see  
Your Epiphany  
  
Zel turned to face her. Speckled feathers shot out in excess resembling a dirty blizzard. A great wind blew from   
inside the temple, shaking Zel's hair. From the floor, a flood of blood flowed down the steps.  
Zel was unaffected and only said, "This place is my prison. Soon, it will be my grave."  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's Notes: The song is actually a real song, and the "nonsense" words are actually Gaelic or Irish. The song is   
called, "Brighid's Kiss" by "La Lugh". Among others, it's on "Celtic Woman 2". The English words are not translations of   
the Irish words. C&C are welcome and needed at destinyplot@lycos.com  
  
  



	10. Relations

Chapter Ten: Relations  
  
Veronica screamed in terror. Her sons rushed in from outside to see what the matter was. Zel sat straight up from   
his dozing.  
After ten minutes, she stopped screaming and was finally calm. When she had sufficiently had enough time to   
examine her vision, she told her family and guests about it.  
"That sounds like something a junkie would see on a bad trip," Jeremy commented when his mother had finished.  
"But what does it mean?" Gourry moaned. It didn't matter how many times it was explained to him, magic was   
magic. Black, white, purple, didn't matter to him. It was all the same.  
"Well, the song, I have no idea. The murder, I have no idea," Veronica answered, only to be cut off with Lina   
protesting, "What kind of fortuneteller are you? You can't   
even understand your own visions?!"  
"Look, you stupid girl, sometimes the images are unclear and personal to the subject in question. Personally,   
these two elements make no sense in relation to Zelgadis. He has never witnessed a murder, to my knowledge, and I have   
never heard a song such as the one I heard. Anyway, the last bit makes sense. The temple I saw was obviously a Death   
Angel temple."  
"Please, Gourry, in the name of all that's good and..." Lina started.  
"What's a Death Angel?" Gourry interrupted. Lina's head hit the table with a loud BANG. She moaned and looked at him   
in disgust, "Gourry, when you were born, were your parents insane and thought it would be really funny if they locked   
you in a closet for 17 years and then let you out and told you, 'Go on, now! Find your fortune!' Huh? Come on, Gourry!   
Do you know anything?!"  
"I want to know is what a Death Angel is, is that so wrong?" Gourry pleaded.  
"Fine, tell him. Maybe he'll listen to you, Veronica," Lina waved her hand at Veronica.   
Veronica sighed, "Fine. I will." Mysterious flute music started to play. "When we die, our bodies rot away but our   
souls go to the AfterLife that we deserve. Death Angels are our guides and, some say, our judges. Death Angels rarely   
interfere with day-to-day activities. So, they're not exactly going to be the ringleaders in any Dark Lord's   
rebirth. A Death Angel temple is a holy ground. They were built long ago near cemeteries. It is said that they are the   
'summer homes' of the Death Angels and building one made the journey to the AfterLife much easier. But, no one builds   
them anymore since everyone figures that the Death Angels can get to the souls just fine without the temples. There   
are few left." She paused, and then continued, "I believe that the other parts of Zelgadis are being kept in one of   
these temples."  
"Well, which one?" Lina asked.  
"I don't know. It's near a forest and there is a river," she shuddered, "a river of decaying bodies, zombies   
perhaps. I do not recall the town and although there was mist, I saw no large bodies of water. Malcolm, this isn't   
the time for your flute practice."  
"Okay," Malcolm put away his flute.  
"Personally," Amelia speaking up after a long period of silence, "I find the murder the most disturbing part. I was   
thinking... oh, never mind, it is a silly idea..."  
"No," Veronica prompted, "what were you thinking?"  
"Well, Victoria was adopted, right? So, maybe, the woman you saw killed was her birth mother."  
"Impossible. The woman fell face first. The baby's skull would have been crushed."  
"Even though this whole thing is really creepy," Gourry leaned his chair back on the back two legs, "I thought that   
song was pretty neat!" Lina hit him on the head, making him fall backwards.  
"You idiot! We're talking about life and death here and you're thinking about the stupid song?!"  
"The song could be important though," Elise interrupted, unknowingly saving her mother-in-law's house, "you even told  
me once that every element was important, no matter how silly and off-topic it may seem. Maybe the song was a clue to the   
location."  
"There's only one way to find out," Veronica said, "we must visit the one man whom has traveled extensively. The   
only man whom could solve this mystery!"  
"You mean...?" Elise asked, wide-eyed.  
"Yes..." Veronica answered.  
"WE'RE GOING TO GRANDPA'S!!!" Jeremy and Malcolm cried, in unison, doing a little victory dance.  
"Oh, yippee," Lina said, dryly, "we could be morons and consult a map, a history book, or even a bandit gang, but,   
no, we're going to some grizzled old man's house."  
  
*** ***  
  
They walked through the street, admiring the dusk sky along with the overexcited Zel, whom had never been out in   
the streets this late before. All of a sudden, he stopped going on about the colors and just stared at Lina and   
Gourry.   
"Why is he staring at me like that?" Lina asked herself. Zel stared from Gourry, to Lina, back to Gourry and   
again to Lina.   
Finally, his mind made up, he pointed at Gourry, "#Robin Hood.#" and pointed at Lina, "#Maid Marian.#"   
Amelia translated and Lina asked, "What's that all about?"   
"#You must hold hands.#" Zel ordered. Upon hearing the translation, Lina barked, "No!"  
"#Yes.#"  
"No!"  
"I don't see anything wrong with holding hands, Lina," Gourry shrugged, trying to avoid a fight.  
"No means no, Gourry," Lina glared, "no matter what Zel says." Zel scrunched his face up and balled his fists.   
Jeremy looked on in horror, "Oh no! He's preparing for a major temper tantrum! Hold hands, quick!" Zel started making   
those "adorable" whining noises that signal a temper tantrum. Lina roared in anger and grabbed Gourry's right   
hand, "There. Happy?" Zel's face returned to normal and he continued skipping, swinging Amelia's left arm.  
"Why did he insist on us holding hands anyway?" Lina grumbled.  
"Because he figured you were a couple. Love is simple and clear-cut to a child," Veronica said, trying not to   
smile too wide. She shook her head. Gourry was trying desperately to not look like he was the happiest guy under   
the sun's dying rays and she knew Lina would enjoy the moment more if she tried not to be a tough girl all the   
time. The real kicker was that neither knew why they felt the way they did. Ah, young love!  
Veronica looked at her young nephew. He looked up at her and smiled. Perhaps he had come to a similar conclusion.   
"Never could leave well enough alone," she thought. She smiled back.  
"Where is this guy's house anyway?" Lina moaned, trying to ignore how sweaty Gourry's hand was and how much it had   
engulfed her own. "I never realized how big his hands were," she thought.  
"Just a block away. Not far," Veronica answered, cutting off her previous musings. As they turned the corner,   
they saw the house. It was a two-story house made of unpainted wood. It was clearly an upper class house. "This   
is my father's house."  
"Wait a sec. How exactly are you related to Zel, again?" Lina asked.  
"I was his father's cousin."  
"Whose side was Rezo on?"  
"He was Zelgadis' paternal grandfather and great-grandfather but we won't go into that right now."  
"So, that means... your father is Rezo's brother?!"  
"Yes, that is correct."  
Lina gasped, "He is still ALIVE?!"  
"Of course!" Veronica knocked on the huge, brass door knocker. They waited for only an instant but then the door   
swung open.  
The man who opened the door was...  
"It's that guy! The creepy one with the chiming staff! It's... it's Mezzo!" Gourry screamed.  
"Rezo?" Lina corrected.  
"Which ever! He's dead. We killed him, twice!"   
Amelia dropped Zel's hand and jumped in front of the party and on to the mailbox and pointed a finger at the   
man, "How dare you impersonate a dead guy! Especially one sided with evil! Why do you desire to portray a man who wished to   
resurrect Ruby Eye to serve his selfish needs?!"  
"Um... dearie?" The man interrupted with a voice unlike Rezo the Red Priest's, "One, why are you standing on my   
mailbox? Two, who are you? Three, what are you talking about?"  
"To answer your questions, one, when a Champion of Justice speaks to an Evil-Doer, they must go to the highest   
place available to convince them to change their evil ways. Two, I am Amelia Wil Tesla de Sayruun, the Crown Princess of   
Saillune, champion of Justice. Three, I am talking about you impersonating Rezo, the Red Priest!"  
"One, how does going to high ground help you? Two, why are you here and not in Saillune? Three, I am not   
impersonating my little brother, may he rest in peace."  
"One..."  
"Stop that! Geez, we just thought you were Rezo for a second, sorry. Who are you, anyway?" Lina asked.  
"My name is Anthony, I am Rezo's older brother. Now, what are you doing here?"  
"We've come to ask you a question about something," Veronica explained.  
"Well, come in, at least. I have some tea. Anyone?" Anthony led them inside to a large, richly furnished sitting   
room with bird cages all around. Zel made a beeline to one of the cages to stare at a pair of songbirds in a wicker   
cage. Anthony swept out of the room while the group found seats and commented on the birds. Anthony came back with the   
tea and sat in the large, overstuffed chair.  
"So, ask away. What do you want to know?"  
"How old are you?" Gourry asked. Lina bonked him on the head. "Well, that's something I want to know."  
"Old enough. Anything else?" Lina and Amelia told the story of Zel's attempted suicide and when they had finished,   
Veronica told him of her vision.  
"Do you know that's three Greywords in a row that have tried or successfully committed suicide? What's wrong with   
this family? I think it's got something to do with Rezo. I'm okay, my children are okay and so on. But back to the   
issue," Anthony sipped his tea, "the song. Yes, I have heard it. It is a song about the Spring Goddess, Brighid. She was   
mainly worshipped in the Lazarus Islands. But only one had a Death Angel temple, that island was Mead."  
"But the woman's murder, what was that all about?" Amelia asked, concerned.  
"I have no idea. Maybe we don't know all of Zelgadis' secrets, maybe he has seen such an event and never bothered   
to mention it."  
"But he has never been to the Lazarus Islands," Gourry added. When everyone gave him a funny look, he stammered, "I   
bet him once that I had traveled more square miles than he had. So we looked at an atlas and added up all the areas of   
the countries or regions we had visited. He didn't include the Lazarus Islands. I won, by the way," Gourry smiled. Zel   
laughed at one of the birds.   
Anthony placed his cup down, "Well, is that all?"  
"No," Lina piped up, "how do we get there? And what town is the temple in?"  
"I know of a boat that is going near the islands in two days but as for the town, I have no idea. I'm sure a local   
would know where it is," Anthony shrugged, "Since there are no more questions, I'm tired and want to go to bed. So, if   
you don't mind..."  
"Oh, of course, Father. Come on," Veronica made her way towards the door and the others said their farewells.   
When Amelia turned to go, Anthony grabbed her shoulder and said, "Just a minute. I need to tell you something   
alone."   
Veronica turned around but Anthony just waved her off. Veronica gathered up Zel, who was still enraptured by   
the birds, and told the others that Amelia would catch up.  
When the others were gone, Anthony beckoned her to reseat herself and he settled himself back into his chair.  
"There was something you wanted to say?"  
"Yes," Anthony answered, "something I didn't want the others to know. It concerns Zelgadis."  
"Is he in danger?"  
"Of course, but that's not what I'm talking about. You're 18, correct?"  
"Yes, sir."  
"Well, when you were born, Zelgadis was six, the age he appears now. Anyway, when you mother went into labor with   
you, the news spread all over Saillune. Everyone, so I heard, had their fingers crossed. That day was also a market   
day. Zelgadis' village was in your city at the time. Now, at the time, the people noticed that all the birds were   
grouping together, even birds that never flocked were grouped together. Predators were eye to eye with prey but   
they did not hunt. The birds had formed a huge disk above the square, all of them squawking. The people were very   
unnerved by this formation.   
As the story goes, Zelgadis and his mother were going through the stalls when Zelgadis suddenly sprinted off. His   
mother, of course, panicked and ran after him. He headed to the square where the disk of birds was. He went right under   
it when they swooped down, hiding him from view. At first, the people were terrified. They thought he was being eaten   
alive but the birds soon spread out and formed an hourglass formation around Zelgadis. His mother asked him if he   
understood what was happening. He replied that he did. The birds had come to deliver a message to him."  
"What was the message?" Amelia asked.  
"That is what his mother asked and he told her that 'the princess that will save my soul has come'. That exact   
moment, I hear, news reached the crowd announcing that the second princess of Saillune had been born. And, as suddenly   
as they came, all the birds flew away."  
"What did Zelgadis mean by that?"  
"I used to wonder that myself," Anthony sighed, "I thought it made no sense. How was she going to save his   
soul? And did his soul need to be saved? But as soon as I saw you and how Zelgadis interacted with you, I think I   
understand." He leaned forward, "I think you are the only one who can save him. You are the key element in fixing this   
problem. Perhaps, you _are_ his innocence. But, I am only musing here. The musings of an old man, despite my looks."   
He rubbed his hands together, "Well, you should be off. Do you need directions?"  
Amelia stood up and shook her head, "No. I can find my way."   
Anthony showed her out and she began to walk back to Veronica's house. She look at the early stars and thought   
over what Anthony had told her, " 'The princess that will save my soul has come'? But how do I do that? Why is   
everything so confusing all of a sudden?"  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's Notes: Geez, I don't have any. No, wait! I do! I hear that the reason that Gourry is "stupid" is because the   
audience would be totally lost if Lina didn't have to stop and explain the "simplest of things" to him. Now, I know how   
useful the flaw is! While I was writing, I realized that no one knows what a Death Angel is except me! Bless you,   
Gourry! C&C are needed and welcome at destinyplot@lycos.com!   



	11. Meanwhile

Chapter Eleven: Meanwhile  
  
Amelia felt dirty and slimy. If she could just rinse the grime away, she would be all right. But after three   
hours in the bath that night, she realized the grime had become one with her skin and no matter how hard she scraped,   
it never went away.  
She could hear that creature snoring. She felt like throwing up. If she had just made a decision right away, may   
be the Council would have not taken matters into their own hands. She had been adventuring with Lina and Gourry at the   
time when she had seen the announcement in the local news of the village.   
"What do I know?" she had thought, "Maybe they chose a prince that was all for peace and justice!" She bid farewell   
to Lina and Gourry. They wished her happiness in her marriage and promised to visit soon. She hurried home to   
meet her husband-to-be. She was a little dismayed at his figure, which was round, but "looks aren't important". She   
married him after only a few conversations with him.  
When the priest had said, "And you may kiss the bride," and he had kissed her, she then realized her mistake. His   
kiss was slimy and it felt like he was trying to eat her rather than kiss her. At the reception, he announced that he   
had banished Gourry and Lina Gabriev from Saillune, "to protect this city." Amelia could do nothing, not for lack of   
trying, but the Council had agreed on the issue and the law had already been laid down, irreversible.  
Then they arrived at this honeymoon resort and she had to submit to his... desires. This was Hell in its purest   
form. No sugar added, no artificial flavors, no preservatives, just good wholesome Hell. Tomorrow would be   
the same. And the next day. And the next day. Forever and ever more.  
That's why she was filling up the bath again. The sound was calming and innocent. No one would think twice about the   
bath filling up. No one would even bother to turn their heads around the corner. Perfect. Of course, no one knew   
that she had already filled up the bath and then pulled the plug. The water was still at the same level, the same amount   
flowed out as it rushed in. No point flooding the place. The bathroom was nice, no need to give it water damage. That   
wasn't very polite.  
Deciding that the noise was not going to wake the creature, she slid in the bath with her new-found friend. A   
razor blade. She stuffed a rag in her mouth to keep from involuntarily screaming and waking the creature and   
positioned the blade on her wrist. She could have never used a knife, still had a morbid fear of them. But razors, to her   
sub-conscious, were safe. If you can fool your friends, you can fool your enemies.  
She looked at the room, admiring the color scheme and replayed all the good times she had. Dressing Gourry as a   
girl and him getting hit on by that silly captain, being the star in a play, catching lake dragon, singing that silly   
song with Lina, playing brass racquets with Xellos, dressing Gourry up as a girl AGAIN and getting Zelgadis in a dress   
too. She smiled. She had heard that when one dies, their entire life flashes before their eyes. So, she would be able   
to relive all of those moments again.  
She took a deep breath. She felt a little sorry for Lina and Gourry but she would see them again on the other   
side. Before then, she could watch over them and see them have kids whom would have adventures too. She could be their   
guardian angel. She would like that. And she would be with her mother again, so she wouldn't be lonely. Maybe Zelgadis   
was there too.   
"I guess we'll finally be together, Mister Zelgadis," Amelia said quietly. Then she cut herself and smiled.  
  
*** ***  
  
"NOOOO! That can't happen! I won't allow it! It's not fair!" Hannah cried and banged against the steel viewscreen,   
"What is the probability of this event occurring?"  
The asexual voice replied, "If events flow as they do presently, then there is a 40% to 50% chance of this   
occurring."  
"No. Why my little girl? I want her to be happy, why does she have to die like that? In such pain?" She lifted   
herself away from the viewscreen, which had since gone blank, "What can be done to prevent this?"  
"To prevent this event," the voice responded, "two events must occur and the second depends on the first.   
First, the human known as Zelgadis Greywords must live. Second, the human known as Zelgadis Greywords must marry the   
human known as Amelia Wil Tesla de Sayrunne."  
Hannah's face flushed with anger, "That little twerp! Ha, Zelgadis is nothing more than a whiny brat! I wouldn't   
allow it," she paused, "but if I don't, my little baby will die. And I can't permit that. But what can I do? The Death   
Angels want him for something. I can't stop them." She exited the Prediction Hall and went towards her Viewing   
Pool, in frustration, she stomped her foot and said, "It's not fair!"  
"It's not fair!"   
The words echoed back to her but they were spoken by another woman. She went towards the source of the sound.   
When she came upon the site, she didn't know whether to laugh or scream in terror.   
The voice belonged to a certain purple haired woman. She too was dead, as Hannah was, and had wrapped her arms   
around a Death Angel's leg. That woman was Victoria Greywords.  
"No one said life was fair," The Death Angel said. She was blonde and had green eyes.  
"Life was fair? I'm dead! I think the AfterLife should be fair!"  
"Well, no one said the AfterLife was fair. Let go of me!"  
"No! You promised me that if I died, you would let Zelgadis go free. You said you wouldn't take him!"   
The Death Angel laughed and bowed to Victoria's level, "I'm afraid you misunderstood me. I never said I wouldn't   
take him. I said, 'I will not take him NOW, erase his memory of you and William and leave you sterile.' Am I doing exactly   
what I said? I never said I'd never take him."  
"You... liar!"  
"I never lied. It's not my fault you didn't understand my intentions. Besides, you betrayed US, by marrying that   
stupid man over there, breaking every rule we live by. You could've been a great queen but you had to sabotage   
yourself. But, your son, at that age, had such promise! He has no one left anyway. No one to love him, no where to go.   
Only a non-existent cure kept him going and even that didn't last long, as I'm sure you observed. I will not waste such   
power and ability! It's too late for you but he will make a fine king. Maybe even better than you could've been. But,   
that's not important right now, I have matters to attend to." With that, she shot a shocking spell at Victoria's   
fingers and released herself. She "hump"ed and continued on her way.  
Victoria mimicked her own son's gesture by hitting the   
ground with her fist in anger. All was lost. He was mortal. He was MORTAL. They couldn't make him into their perfect   
king because he was perfect as he was, with all his flaws and quirks. That why she liked mortals, they were perfect in   
their imperfection. But to make him their perfect king, they would have to sandblast his perfect flaws and he wouldn't be   
her precious little boy anymore.  
She felt someone watching her. She whirled around, catching Hannah off-guard, "Enjoy the show?" she asked   
gruffly, wiping the tears away.  
"I'm... sorry. I just heard you and wondered if there's anything I can do?" Hannah stuttered pathetically.  
"No, there isn't," she turned away then did a second look at her guest, "You're Amelia's mother, aren't you?"  
"You mean Amelia of Saillune?"  
"Yes, her. Pretty girl."  
"Yes, I am her mother. Are Zelgadis Greywords' mother?"  
"Yes, he is my son."  
Hannah resisted the urge to scream at her for having such a spoiled brat for a son. Instead she asked, "What  
exactly is the problem?"  
"My sisters made a promise to me and now they have broken it... and there's nothing I can do."  
Hannah nodded. She remembered what she had seen in the Prediction Hall. "You shouldn't give up!"  
"What?"  
"Never give up! You're a mother, full of love for Zelgadis! Love is on your side. Love always prevails!"  
"Geez, now I know where your daughter gets it."  
"I'm serious!" Hannah struck a Justice pose, complete with the pastel laser beams and stars behind her, "You can't   
just sit back and watch your son get taken or whatever it is they're trying to do to him! Love will always triumph no   
matter the odds!"   
Victoria balled her fists and stood up beside her, "You're right! I have to do something! Will you help me?"  
Hannah took Victoria's fists in her hands and nodded, "Yes, of course!"   
They then pumped their arms in the air, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"  
  
*** ***  
  
"No. No. No!" William Greywords shook his head ferociously.  
"Why not?!" Victoria pleaded, "He's your son too! And I can't do it alone!"  
"No means no! If we fail, we're all doomed. We are powerless!" He held on to his wife's shoulders, "Look, I   
know it's horrible and it shouldn't be happening but there's nothing we can do. You just have to accept it."  
"No, she shouldn't!" Hannah interrupted, "Children are the most valuable treasures, they are our future! Nothing   
should stand in a parent's way when it comes to the safety of their children!"  
"Okay, great. Back to reality," William sighed, "look, he wanted to die anyway, we all saw that. They're giving him   
a chance of a better life! It's true what they say, he has no one to look after him and no where to go."  
"Hm... I wonder why..." Victoria asked, sarcastically.  
"What is THAT supposed to mean? Are you saying this is all my fault?"  
"No, it's not all your fault, it's Rezo's too!"  
"What do you mean it's my fault?" Rezo asked, shocked out of his silence.  
"Well, the only reason my son is such a crackpot is because he was traumatized by his father committing suicide   
right in front of his face and don't get me started on the torment Rezo, his own grandfather, put him through. Yes, I   
think it's both of your faults this is happening!"  
"Yeah, you're not exactly great in the parenting department," William said to Rezo and Rezo snapped, "Well,   
at least I didn't commit suicide when your mother died!"  
"Oh, you mean my sister?" William replied sarcastically.  
"It was an honest mistake!"  
"Enough!" Hannah did a karate chop between them, "fighting is not going to help your son or grandson. We have   
to bond together, united as one force!"  
"You can't just run away from this!" Victoria added, "If you want to redeem yourselves in the eyes of Zelgadis,   
then you must help me!"  
"Fine, we'll help but now what? How are we going to help him?" William asked.  
"I know how," Victoria said, giving them all a serious stare, "We must go to the Palace of the Death Angels and   
stop them ourselves!"  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's Notes: Tehehe! That was fun to write even though the first part was hard. But, I prepared myself beforehand   
by reading dark, angsty fics! By the way, I really do like Zelgadis and Amelia, I just think it's fun to point out   
Zelgadis' bad points. Also, parents rarely like their child's spouse, so... Anyway, C&C are welcome and needed at   
destinyplot@lycos.com. Come back soon!  



	12. Justice

Chapter 12: Justice  
  
Cold. Still. She felt cold and still to his touch. It's not true. It can't be true. Katherine was behind him, silent  
as stone.   
He said to the wall, "It's not true. Young people never die. Only the old do. Everyone knows that."  
"Dis, she's dead. Accept it!" Katherine snapped back with a solemn expression.   
Zel spun around, "You lie! She's just asleep, s'all. Just sleeping." He began to shake her,   
"Wake up. Show her you're alive." She did not respond. "Come on! Wake up!" He lost all his strength and began sliding to   
the floor, "Only old people die... wake up..." He began to wail. His mother did not respond to his cries. She never did   
again.  
  
FLASH  
  
The heat of the funeral fire made his sweat drip down his face in long lines. He was not crying now. Neither was   
his father. The rest of the village was bawling their eyes out, including Eris. He looked indifferently at the dancing   
flames. He could hear his father say something to himself but he could not hear the exact words. His father was   
patting his shoulder. He bent down to his son's height.  
"You'll be okay. Life will move on."  
"I know," he was saying back, without feeling it. He had been hearing only that for the past week. "Okay" was   
beginning to mean nothing to him.  
"Just promise me something." Zel nodded, he wasn't listening though. "I want you to be strong. And to help others.   
And remember to stand up for yourself. Lead a good life. Remember your parents." He took a breath, "Remember that whatever   
you do, we will always love you. You are our golden child, remember that. I promise me that you'll never forget how special   
and beautiful you are."   
He went to a standing position sharply and strode elegantly to the fire. Zel could hear everyone whispering to   
give his father his space. In a blink, he was jumping and flames were consuming him.  
Chaos erupted. Women screaming, children asking questions or crying, men running around, shouting orders   
that no one was following. And Zel's father cremated himself before their very eyes. Zel's knees started to give and he   
didn't fight. He slid to the ground, emotionless. He was just sitting there, apart from the chaos around him. It was   
just him and the fire. Not a tear fell. He was staring at the ground now. He said aloud, though no one alive was   
listening to him.  
"I promise."  
  
FLASH  
  
He was in one of his grandfather's many labs. He was also bound to a tilted metal table. He couldn't move.   
"Grandfather?" he called. No answer. "Grandfather? Can you let me go now?"  
"Zelgadis, I want you to stay calm."  
"Calm? Just let me go!"  
"You want to stop hurting yourself, don't you?"  
"For the last time, I don't do those things! Let me go!" He began to cry.  
"I want to try something. It may work, it may not." Zel could hear a switch clicking somewhere in the darkness.   
WHREEEEEE!  
"Grandfather? What is that sound?"  
"An invention of mine. I vow I will cure you of your ailment."  
"Stop it, Grandfather! You're scaring me! Let me go!"  
"Now, stay still. Stay calm."  
"ERIS!!! HELP ME!!! MAKE HIM STOP THIS!!!!"  
"Stay calm. You'll feel better soon."  
He began to beat against the metal plank he was bound to.  
"Let me go! Grandfather, let go!"  
WHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!  
  
FLASH  
  
"Who's there?" Zel asked the darkness. No one answered but he could feel someone in his room. He heard someone   
skitter across the floor quickly but no one was there. He turned the oil lamp on. Nothing was there.  
"The treatment is just making me paranoid, that's all. It's all in my mind, just like Grandfather told me." He blew   
the lamp and now he clearly could see a decaying woman with a knife in her fist.   
The woman cackled, "Die, Befallen Prince! DIE! FEEL MY TORMENT AND SUFFERING!!!"  
"I have no quarrel with you! I have no quarrel with you!" he chanted as he had chanted numerous times before   
just as his mother had instructed him so long ago. But it didn't work. The knife collided with his ribs and stayed   
there. The woman cackled and dissipated. Zel screamed for help and turned on the oil lamp. The knife slid out of his   
body painfully, all by itself. He ran to the single mirror and saw the growing mass of blood spewing out of his chest.  
The door swung open and Eris ran in. She screamed at him as he fell to his knees in agony, "What in the HELL did   
you do to yourself?!"   
  
FLASH  
  
"Try not to get into trouble, okay?" Eris asked.  
"Yeah, yeah, sure," Zel waved her off.  
It had been three years since his parents had died. Most people recover from such an event in that time, he   
suspected, but not him. He could still feel her cold fingers under his and he could still feel the heat of the fire on   
his face.  
He never mentioned this to his grandfather, "Such feelings are pointless," he had once said to him. End of   
conversation. Besides, his grandfather was too worried about his grandson's "condition". Telling him that he was still   
upset over the deaths would just make things worse.  
As far as Zel could tell, he was more distraught because the medication was not working. It was actually   
making things worse. Grandfather thought it was all Zel's subconscious fears and anguish coming out to play but Zel   
knew himself better than that. He was stronger than that.  
Currently, Eris and his grandfather were debating whether or not to quit the treatment.  
But, in Sailunne, that issue was unimportant. Zel was going to forget about his grandfather's creepy, dark mansion   
and have some fun with his old friends.  
Now that he was thinking about it, everyone seemed very somber. He looked up. The flags were at half-mast. He went   
over to a shopkeeper, "What's wrong with the flags?"  
The shopkeeper sadly looked in the direction Zel was pointing, "Oh, a great tragedy has struck our great city.   
Our beloved Princess, Hannah, is dead."  
"Dead?" He asked, not out of pity, but out of curiosity.  
"Yes, an assassin came in and killed our beloved Princess."  
"Oh. Well." He walked away. He was not saddened by the news. Over the last three years, he numbed beyond measure to   
anyone else's torment or sorrow.  
"I don't see why everyone is so sad, though," he thought, "sure, she's dead and all but it's not like they   
knew her personally." The more he thought about it, the more confused and angry he became. It didn't make sense.  
He found himself in the dark alleys, the places that Sailunne does not advertise. It is simply swept under the   
carpet when special guests arrived but the bulge is clear to one who knows it's there.  
He sat on the curb and watched blue-collar workers go back to work after lunch. A woman in a pink frock with a   
white apron was walking past him. Another woman in a yellow frock with white daisies on it ran up to her.  
"Hey," the yellow dressed one said, "how's it going?"  
"Alright, I guess," the pink dressed one replied.  
"Did you hear about the Princess?"  
"Shame, shame. She was pretty, wasn't she?"  
"Beautiful hair, all done up in a bun, like last time she went in the city."  
"Yeah. How's your mother?"  
The yellow dressed one frowned, "Not well. The sickness is getting worse, I'm afraid."  
"Oh no."  
"Yeah. She had a good life. I'll miss her though. The doc says there's nothing he can do. She came to him too   
late."  
"Never could ask for a hand, could she? You going to be okay?"  
"Yeah, I guess. She's not dead yet, but the doc said weeks. I knew it was going to happen sometime, I just didn't   
think so soon. She's my mam, you know?"  
"Do you have the arrangements...?"  
"Yeah, I took care of most of them two days ago."  
"Such a shame. She's done so much for this part of town. It won't be the same without her. If you need   
anything, just call me, okay? Listen, I gotta go. Hope everything will be okay."  
The pink dressed one and the yellow dressed one parted ways.   
Zel sat in silence, digesting what he had heard. Then he became very angry.  
"That woman's Mama is going to die, and no one is going to care. This Princess lady is dead and people who don't   
even know her are crying!" He stood up, "It's not fair! No one person is more worthy than another."  
He had to make this hypocrisy stop somehow. He ran and ran. He ran into a message board. Removing his face from the   
surface, he noticed what was on it. It was a flier, saying that the Princess of Saillunne was dead. It went on saying   
how wonderful she was and what a tragedy her death was. Zel looked at it for a very long time. Then he ripped the paper   
off the message board and ripped it in half. And ripped those halves in half and those halves in half and so on   
until it was confetti.  
It wasn't enough. He walked a little farther along. On the wall was a copy of the same flier. In a rage, he torn it   
off the wall and stomped on it and ripped it up. Again and again, every single flier he came across, he destroyed.   
Tears came to his eyes, "Hypocrites!" he chanted. All he think about was the cold fingers and the hot flames and the   
dark mansion and loud machine that made him throw up and the people screaming in his room and opening holes in his chest   
and everyone thinking he was suicidal. And how nobody cared.  
It wasn't enough. He had to completely destroy hypocrisy, he had to make them see how this treatment was   
unfair.  
Somehow, he had wound up at the Temple of Cephied. He couldn't remember how he had gotten there. He went inside.   
There was a service going on and it was near the end. They were at the part where they were cleansed of their sins and   
troubles. The priest was chanting the words of cleansing and sprinkling water on the sinners' heads.   
Hypocrites. As soon as they left the temple, they would go back to whatever they came in for. Behind the priest was   
the most hypocritical thing of all. All their talk of helping the poor was being slapped in the face with the   
golden banner of Cephied. The banner must have cost as much as the temple itself and it hung in its hypocritical glory.  
It had to go. It simply HAD to GO!  
Zel joined the procession and slowly inched forward to the priest. When it came to his turn, he kept walking.  
"Boy, you're not allowed back there," the priest said to him. Words, just words.  
"I go where I please," he answered. He turned to the banner and grabbed the end. With all his strength, he gave   
it a mighty tug. The ripping of the rich fabric vibrated and echoed throughout the temple. Then, like a waterfall,   
fluttered down to gather in Zel's hands.  
The people stood in shock as Zel darted out the door.   
He ran and he ran. There was a port, he had seen it and it was nearby. He ran through the streets of Saillunne, not   
caring who he knocked over. He could hear the hypocrites at the church following, bemoaning the fate of their symbol of   
their ways.  
Along the way, he snatched a box of matches from someone's open hand.  
He finally reached the cliff overlooking the calm and turbulent sea. He struck the match and lit the God's head on   
fire. He dropped the banner, watching it burn like his father had done. That time, it had been a sorrowful event.   
Now, he felt happy. Maybe they will at last understand.   
He heard a woman scream. "The fools," he thought, seeing them coming towards him, "I am doing them a great   
service."  
The priest ran up to him and screamed, "What have you done?!"  
"I have destroyed hypocrisy, sir."  
"You destroyed public property, you idiot!"  
"Why do you suddenly care? For three years, I have lived in Hell and no one had shed a tear over my plight!" he   
screamed, lifting up a fist full of hot ashes, which pricked his skin like needles, "Both of my parents are dead. They   
are ASHES!" He threw the ashes at the priest. The holy man roared and Zel didn't stop. He grabbed another fist full and   
another and threw the ashes of the banner at the crowd.   
He heard patrol guards running towards but he didn't care. None of them mattered. Nothing mattered. Not anymore.   
Anything that was worth caring about left him three years ago. He kept throwing the ashes until the largest of the   
guards picked him up (after having ashes thrown into his face by his prisoner) and he screamed at the crowd and the   
guards until he was finally locked in his cell. Worn out, he collapsed to the stone floor and silently waited.  
After an hour or so, a mousy man came in with a piece of paper and two huge guards, "The sooner you cooperate,"   
the man squeaked, "the sooner you leave."  
Zel said nothing.  
"Okay, what is your name, Boy?"  
"Oliver Twist."  
"I seriously doubt that. What is your real name?"  
"What's yours?"  
One of the guards finally got fed up with him. He unlocked the door and punched Zel very hard in the stomach.   
While Zel lay gasping, he locked the door and resumed his stoic pose as if he had never moved.   
"Boy, I need to know your name so we can contact your family so they can get you out. Do you know what bail is?"  
"No... what is it?" Zel gasped.  
"Bail is money that someone has to pay to let someone out of jail. If no one can pay your bail, you can't leave.   
So, what's your real name?"  
Prison didn't exactly sound like a fun place to live, so he decided to cooperate, "Zelgadis Greywords." The mousy   
man nodded to the smaller of the huge guards. The man left without a word.  
"Would you like to know what you're being charged with?"  
"Sure. Got nothing better to do."  
"Your charges are: theft, destruction of public property, disturbing the peace, resisting arrest and   
assault."  
"Where did I get assault?"  
"Throwing hot ashes at people is not exactly the best way to make friends, Mister Greywords."  
"What are you going to do with me?"  
"First, you're going to tell me whether you plead guilty or not guilty."  
"What happens if I plead not guilty?"  
"There will be a trial, if you're found guilty, you'll have a very high fine and some jail time. If you plead   
guilty right off the bat, the fine is lower."  
"I plead guilty. What now?"  
"Nothing. You wait for your questioner."  
"My questioner?"  
"One of the Royal family will see if you should be banned from the city or not." The mousy man left while the   
huge guard walked over to a desk and sat.  
Soon, he heard light footsteps coming down the steps. The guard said, "Halt!" and stood but immediately sat back   
down. An overly-endowed girl came into his line of vision.   
She was in traditional shrine priestess garb with her long, black hair strewn out behind her. She didn't look much   
older than Zel, if she was indeed older. If he had not been angry for being locked in the dungeon, he would have thought she   
was quite pretty. Of course, he was VERY angry about being locked in a dungeon.  
"You royalty?" Zel asked.  
"I ask the questions here!" The girl replied, "to answer your question, yes, I am the Crown Princess of   
Saillunne."  
"So, are you just going to stand there and lecture me to death?"  
"No! I have some questions to ask."  
"Why doesn't your father come here himself?"  
"He has other official duties!"  
"So-rry, Miss Prissy. Are you going to ask me something or what?"  
"Listen you! My mother has just been..."   
He tilted his head and snapped back, "My mother's dead too. Don't act so high and mighty because your mother just   
died."  
The over-endowed girl screamed, "You just don't care! You're completely heartless."  
He began to laugh insanely, "Oh, I forgot, my pain doesn't matter to you. My pain is heartless and your pain is   
noble. That is justice to you."  
"Your mother was just a peasant! Who cares?!"  
"Your mother was just a queen! Who cares?"  
"My mother was beautiful woman. The most beautiful woman ever to walk."  
"So was mine!"  
"My mother had a heart of gold!"  
"Mine did too!"  
"Everyone loved her!"  
"Well, someone sure as hell didn't like her!"   
The girl's eyes brimmed over with tears.  
"Of course, what do I know... I'm just a peasant."  
  
FLASH  
  
"Come on, come on," Zel gasped as he worked the pin into the lock of his cell. It clicked and the door swung   
open. The guard was fast asleep and Zel silently thanked his cousin Jer for teaching him how to pick locks. "Now to get   
out of here."  
He tiptoed around the guard and went up the stone steps. He then realized that through all his kicking and   
curses, he never had a chance to see how he got from the Outside to the dungeon. Now, he was hopelessly lost.  
"Big deal," he thought, "I'll find a way out. I got 8 hours at least." He began to wander around aimlessly and   
critiqued the decor along the way, "They sure like blue and pink around here."  
He wandered for about an hour before he saw someone. He ducked into a nearby corridor to watch the movements of his   
intruder. The intruder was tall, large (not fat), and had a black, bushy mustache. He seemed a depressed calm, as if he   
had signed his own death warrant. He held a knife with some family crest on it, Zel couldn't tell whose crest it was.  
"What is he doing?" He didn't seem to be going anywhere fast. He was idling around, looking at the decor without   
seeing it. He adjusted a painting. He smoothed out the red rug. Satisfied, he looked around and sighed. He bellowed,   
"Everything's in its place. Just like Hannah would like it. Everything in its place."  
What is with this Hannah woman? Was she God or something?  
The man continued, "I have had a good life. I have had two beautiful daughters. Soon, I will be with you, Hannah.   
My heart will be unburdened."  
"No, don't," a voice whispered in Zel's ear. Zel turned around to see who had spoken. It was a curly-haired woman   
and she seemed very distressed.  
"He'll hear you better if you shout at him," Zel whispered.  
"Oh, he couldn't hear me even if I was... Wait a second! How can you hear me?!"  
"You're standing right next to me, you dope," Zel snapped quietly then realized, "Oh, wait, you're dead,   
aren't you?"  
"Well, I think I am. I was down here to see if my family was alright but I didn't expect this!"  
"Well, you're a first."  
"First in what?"  
"You're the first dead person that wasn't screaming at me or trying to kill me. Who's that guy, anyway?"  
"My husband, Prince Phil of Saillunne."  
Oh, so he did know her. Well, that was okay, he guessed. He turned to say something to the woman but she   
disappeared before his eyes.  
"That's new. She left without me telling her to." He shrugged and turned his attention back to Phil. He soon   
figured out that he was going to commit suicide. At first, Zel was unfazed and numb. But then he remember the over-  
endowed girl from earlier. Sure, she was a Priss but if her father died, she was never going to be the same. Phil had   
mentioned he had two daughters. The other one, whoever she was, would probably be heart-broken. He thought of his own   
father, how angry he was at his father leaving him behind. For being a coward. He remembered laying in bed night after   
night, seeing the sure warning signs and wondering why no one had said anything or tried to stop him. He remembered he   
swore he would never go out like that. He would never take his own life. He would stronger than his father.   
He would be strong!  
"STOP!" Zel leaped out of the shadows of the corridor.   
Phil turned around, startled. Phil regarded him, blindly, "Who are... ?"  
"It doesn't matter who I am or where I came from! Just listen to me. Don't do this. Think of your daughters! Who   
will tell them what's what? I heard that your wife was assassinated, who's going to tell them who they can trust?   
Who's going to teach how to keep a city-state running in spite of trials?" He took a step forward and pointed an   
accusing finger at Phil, "What are you teaching your daughters? That when the times get hard, you just give up?   
You just get out of the race? That is not what a parent is supposed to teach! How can they survive your and your wife's   
deaths if you show them that suicide is the only way to cope?! They need you, your people need you! Your daughters   
are learning from your example, teach them how they can be strong! I know you're hurting, my father was too when my   
mother died but he was weak, he left me here, all by myself! Your daughters are hurting, too, but even so, you have to be   
their rock, they need something they can trust and hold on to! I got nobody! If I could stop my father from killing   
himself, I would. But I can't, and your daughters wouldn't be able to neither! Give them the chance I never got!" He   
started to cry but he brushed the tears away, "Please, sir, don't do this! If you die, your daughters will never, EVER   
recover."   
Phil dropped the knife on the ground and knelt to Zel's height, he said, softly, "You're a sign from Heaven,   
aren't you?"  
"No," he sniffed, "just a guy visiting Saillunne."  
Phil patted Zel on the head, "It doesn't matter who you are or where you came from, you're right about that. I was   
about to do a terrible thing to my daughters, and you stopped that. I owe you a great deal."  
"Well, you can repay me by showing me the way out. I'm kinda lost," he laughed nervously. Before Phil could reply,   
guards ran up to them, "There he is! The little lock pick!"   
One guard made to grab Zel but Phil demanded, "What is the meaning of this?"  
"That boy was arrested and pleaded guilty on the charge of theft, destruction of public property, disturbing the   
peace, resisting arrest and assault! He has somehow managed to pick his way out of his cell!"  
Phil looked sharply at the guards, "I hearby clear those charges. Go back to your posts."  
A shorter, blond man with a sharp nose stepped forward, "Look, I am as deeply distressed at my sister's death as you   
are but you must be reasonable! This boy is a danger to everyone around him!"   
The man roughly grabbed Zel's tunic but Phil placed his hand around the newcomer's wrist, "Let   
that boy go, Charles." Charles let go of the tunic and looked Phil straight in the eye.  
Zel felt wet where Charles had grabbed him. He looked   
down at the area.   
Blood was dripping on to the floor from his tunic. That   
man! He did it!  
He looked at Charles' hands. They were dripping in blood. Zel's eyes widen and he covered his mouth in disgust.  
"Boy?" Phil asked, concerned, "are you alright?"  
Zel shook his head feverishly, "No. His hands... his hands..." He removed his hands from his mouth to speak   
clearly and turned to Phil, "That man killed your wife! His hands are covered in blood! He did it! Please believe me!"  
Charles scoffed, "My hands are clean, Phil! This delinquent is trying to get out of trouble! He's probably on   
some sort of hallucinogen. Ignore him."  
"I'm not on drugs! I'm cleaner than you are, you murderer!" Zel shouted, knowing he was losing an important   
fight.   
Before Charles could respond, a little voice piped, "Daddy? What's going on?"  
The crowd of guards turned to the little voice. She was about six years old and had big, blue eyes with black, short   
hair. She was dragging a stuffed blue rabbit by its foot behind her.   
She rubbed her eyes and yawned and repeated, "What's going on?"  
Charles said, "Amelia, go back to bed. Nothing is going on."  
Amelia looked at Zel and said, "Someone should give him a clean shirt."  
"Whatever do you mean, Amelia?" Phil asked.  
"He's got a big red splot on his shirt."  
"What does it look like?" Zel asked. At last, she could make them see it. He wasn't insane!  
"Kind of like... how Mommy looked all over. Is he hurt or something?"  
Charles laughed, "What an overactive imagination your daughter has, Phil. She probably still recovering from the   
shock of her mother's death. She's only a child, Phil." Phil looked completely indecisive, he didn't know who to believe.   
They heard more guards running, "Your Highness! Your Highness!" Three guards came around the corner, panting.  
"Yes? What is it?" Phil asked, turning towards the men.  
The leader panted, "A signed confession. It tells everything. Our partner has him in custody."  
"But how? Gracia killed the assassin already!"  
"There was another one. He was supposed to kill you, Your Highness and supposedly, her Highness as well. He   
didn't realize Gracia and your wife had changed rooms. He chickened out at the last moment when he heard Gracia   
screaming. He also said who hired them, Your Highness."  
"Well, who was it?"  
"Your brother-in-law, Charles, Your Highness."  
Charles shrieked, "He lies! I never would lay a finger on my sister's family! It is all lies!"   
Phil whirled on his brother-in-law, "You were the one who was telling lies. Guards, seize him!" The guards grabbed   
Charles before he had time to react and dragged him away as he screamed his innocence. One guard stayed behind, "What   
should we do about this one, Your Highness?"  
Phil sighed, "Give him proper quarters. I believe he has fully repaid his crimes."  
  
FLASH  
  
"How...?" Eris was saying when she was told that Zel was having breakfast with the royal family. At first, she   
didn't believe it but Eris saw Zel sitting at the long table, eating eggs when he should be rotting away in a dungeon.  
"I cleared the boy of his crimes. But I am surprised. It never occurred to me that he was related to the great Red   
Priest. But I thought..."  
"I am not the Red Priest. I am Eris, I serve in his stead. He has other matters to attend to. But why has his   
crimes been cleared?"  
"He found the ringleader of my wife's murder. He was my own brother-in-law. He sought to control my precious Amelia   
and thus control the throne. I can't believe I trusted such evil."  
"But how did he...?"  
"I believe he had a psychic premonition! I shouldn't be surprised, he is the grandson of the Red Priest."  
Eris raised an eyebrow at Zel and said, "Well, finish eating, Zelgadis. We're leaving for home."  
Zel politely thanked the Prince for his hospitality and quickly followed Eris.  
  
FLASH  
  
"That condition saved us a very huge fine, Lord Rezo," Eris said, in conclusion, "Besides, maybe his mother was a   
psychic and she never bothered to mention it."  
"Perhaps you're right. It isn't him, it's the entire world of the dead."  
"It's not funny, Lord Rezo."  
"I wasn't making a joke. Call Zelgadis in and let yourself out while I speak to him alone."   
Eris opened the door and let Zel in. Zel was shaking in his boots. He was expecting a huge lecture. Rezo sat there,   
lost in his own thoughts. Zel then remembered he had to announce his own presence before Rezo would say anything.  
"You wanted to talk to me, Grandfather?"  
"Yes, I want to discuss your 'visions' with you."  
"Yes, sir."  
"I'm stopping your treatment."  
"Yes, sir."  
Grandfather was sighing, "I can't deny it. I can't rid of it. Just don't it again. It frightens people."  
Zel lowered his eyes, "I did help them..."  
"Yes, but, it could've gotten you killed. Or sent away. Do you want to be sent away?"  
"No, Grandfather."  
"Then you'll follow my advice." Zel began to nod.  
  
FLASH  
  
"Do you wish to be strong, Zelgadis? You'll completely transformed."  
  
FLASH  
  
The blonde woman had just kissed him. It began to grow dark. He could hear his mother screaming his name. He could   
also hear someone laughing. He didn't even hear the joke.  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's Notes: Eek! That was long! And half of it is old stuff! Ah, the pleasures of cut and paste. C&C are welcome   
and needed at destinyplot@lycos.com  
  
  



	13. Sidetrip

Chapter 13: Sidetrip  
  
"AAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEE!!!!!"  
"Just let me do your hair! I want you to look your bestest for the sailors!," Veronica ran after a sopping wet   
Little Zel with a comb.  
"I don't really think the sailors will care how Zelgadis will look, Mam," Jeremy replied, sipping his chai   
tea.  
"Well, _I_ care how he looks! Now hold still!" Veronica grabbed him from behind and tackled him. Zel hit the comb   
with his palm, sending it flying over the table.  
"He never did like people dressing him," Amelia replied, blowing on her chai tea, "This is very good. We   
have nothing like this in Saillune!"  
"Well," Gourry replied, stirring his chai tea, "every time one of you guys tried to dress him, it was usually in a   
dress!"  
All action stopped in the room, even Zel turned his sopping wet head to face Gourry. Jeremy's tea splattered all   
over the wall in front of him, "What did you say?!"  
"Great. Our cousin's a cross-dresser. He's probably gay too," Malcolm mumbled.  
"Malcolm! How rude of you say!" Elise sipped her tea, "Just because your cousin cross-dresses doesn't mean he's   
gay. 95% of cross-dressers are heterosexual, you know!"  
Lina, Amelia and Gourry facefaulted, "What exactly does that prove?!"  
"Exactly what I said. Just because Zelgadis cross-dresses doesn't mean he's gay."  
"Yeah," Jeremy added, "what do you have against gay people anyway?"  
"Nothing," Malcolm replied, "I was just stating a fact. At least, I thought it was."  
"Oh, good, didn't want you turning homophobic on us!" The family laughed at this while Lina fumed, "Hello?! Don't   
we have a boat to catch?"  
"It's... not... hold still... coming... argh... for another hour... sit," Veronica instructed, "It'll be harder   
if you let it dry!"  
"Do you think Da is going to be one of those ships, Mam?" Malcolm asked.  
"No, I don't, Dear. He's on a different ship."  
"Oh, your husband's a sailor?" Amelia asked.  
"Yes, he is."  
"I bet you want to be just like your Daddy someday, huh, Malcolm?"  
"Not really. Da is always telling me not to go into it. He told me that if he could get out, he would," Malcolm   
shrugged.  
"Why doesn't he?" Gourry asked.  
"He was an orphan and eventually sold himself into slavery for food. The guy who bought him was the captain of   
ship. He eventually bought his freedom but, by that time, he was too old to go into another trade. So, he's stuck."  
"How sad. He must miss you a lot when he's away. I bet he thinks of his wife and sons constantly," Amelia sighed.  
"Son," Jeremy corrected.  
"Excuse me?"  
"Son. I'm not his son. My Da's dead. Mam married his Da right before Malc was born."  
"How long before?" Lina asked, getting into the story.  
"About two months before," Veronica answered.  
"TWO MONTHS?! You mean..."  
"Ever heard the song 'Home Boys Home'?"  
"You mean," Gourry asked, "the one about how some sailor sleeps with a woman he's never met and she has his   
kid?"  
"Yes, that one. I do like that one a lot!" Veronica patted Zel on the shoulder, "All done! Go have breakfast."  
  
*** ***  
  
The quality that separates the humans from the animals is reason. Zel was using that precious gift.  
After that last dream, he began to wonder how he got there in the first place, since people don't grow down and   
he had memories from the future.   
He did remember Lady telling him that her "Daddy" would never attempt "suicide" but according to his dream, her   
"Daddy" did. But that was beside the point. Suicide is probably a very bad thing and probably something very   
serious. The Adults claimed that when he got to whenever he was going and "put him together" or something, he would try   
committing suicide again. So, what was the point of all this?  
Suicide didn't sound like much fun and he didn't want to do it, whatever it was. But the Other Him did. Now, all   
he had to do was figure out what suicide was and figure out whether he should be concerned or not.  
Fifteen minutes after breakfast, they all gathered their belongings and began traveling to the dock. Since the   
Adults decided to trust him, his hands were free to do as they wished.  
"#Lady?#"  
Lady turned around, "Yes, Master Zelgadis?"  
"#What is 'suicide'?#"  
"Well... uh... it's when... you try to hurt yourself very badly and usually you die. Actually, now that I think   
about it, that's the main requirement. Why do you ask?"  
"#You mentioned it to me when I first arrived,#" he lied.   
Well now! That sounded terrible! Why would anyone want to hurt themselves badly enough to lead to death?  
Then again, seeing what he had seen, maybe he had a good reason. Well, if he was going to do that again as soon   
as they "put him together" then it wasn't worth the hassle.   
Maybe this was best. Just start all over from square one.  
"#Do not fix it if it is not broken!#"  
"What was that?"  
"#Nothing.#"  
Stretch, 1, 2. Stretch, 1, 2. Get, set, go!  
  
*** ***  
  
"Wait! Stop!" Amelia cried out. Everyone turned around.  
"Man! Where's he going?!" Jeremy stomped his foot.  
"Gourry, go get him. We don't have time for this!" Lina ordered.  
"Sure. He's got a head start, though."  
"So?! Start running, Jellyfish!" Lina pushed him forward, throwing him off-balance. He dangled on his left   
foot before he fell on his face. "What are you doing, Gourry?! This isn't the time to fool around!"  
"_You_ pushed _me_!"  
"Who cares about that now? Go get Zel back!" Lina moaned into her hands, "What's with this guy and running   
off?"  
"Malcolm, come with us. Hopefully, we'll be able to convince the boat to wait a while for the boys to get   
Zelgadis," Veronica said as Jeremy and Gourry ran towards Zel's escape route.  
The streets of Hayla were crowded and, while Zel could get through it quite easily, it was an impossible task for   
his followers.  
"Stupid... excuse me... he always does this!" Gourry moaned. He was hot and sweaty and he was not in the mood to   
run after a little version of his loner friend and bring him to the dock in under ten minutes. To make things worse...  
"We've lost him. Damn it! Stupid kid!" Jeremy ran his hand through his hair, "He could be ANYWHERE by now."  
"Let's think about this. If you was running away from something, where would you go?" Gourry asked.   
"The dark alleys. I mean, it's dark and there are lots of places to hide... Oh no!" Jeremy bolted to the nearest   
entrance to an alleyway. Gourry quickly took after him.  
"What's wrong? Did you see him?" Gourry asked when he caught up. Jeremy shook his head, "No, but I just realized   
something. Prostitutes live in the alleys. If he found one..."  
"I think he's a little young for that..."  
"NO! They'll take him in! They'll think he's a runaway or wanted by the police. They'll protect him and treat him   
as one of their own. We have to find him before someone else does."  
"You mean, we have to go in the brothels and stuff to find him?!"  
"Look, I don't want to be seen going in there neither but we have to find Zelgadis!" They went in search of a   
brothel.  
  
*** ***  
  
"Probably runnin' from them dang stiffs," a "sister" (the term prostitutes use for each other because "they were   
all sisters") said to another.  
"He look of Sailunne on him. You Sailunne boy?" The another said with halted Official*.  
"Sheila, he sure does. We'll call you 'Sail'."  
"No," a blank-looking "sister" interrupted in her soft, low monotone voice, "That name will bog him down with the   
'rock people'."  
"Um, yeah, Tricia. The 'rock people'..." The first "sister" raised her eyebrows at Sheila.  
"I mean it, Marie, the 'rock people' are the people who are not in touch with the 'inner light' of the universe and   
ignore the calling of the Great Mother Earth who loves us."  
"That's nice, Tricia, but I think 'Sail' is just fine," Marie sighed.   
"We should name him 'Moonchild'."  
"Why? Why in 'Great Mother Earth' or whatever's name should we name him 'Moonchild' rather than 'Sail'?" Marie   
stared at Tricia at with a look that she perceived as scary. Tricia wasn't startled a bit.  
"'Cause he looks like the moon, that guards our sleeping mortal bodies before our souls are one with the   
Great Mother Earth."  
"How does this little boy look like the MOON?!" Marie demanded.   
Sheila regarded Zel, "He no look of Moon."   
"His skin, my sisters. His skin is the color of the glorious watching Moon," Tricia concluded.  
"Oh. Why didn't you just say?" Marie slouched down against the wall.  
"Because I thought you saw it too. Maybe you should listen to your 'inner light' more."  
"I don't _care_ about my stinkin' 'inner light'. The only light I see is the light at the end of your 'Blur   
Candle' you are constantly smokin'. Do you smoke that junk on the job? Doesn't it make your customers sick?" Marie   
waved her hand in front of her face when Tricia exhaled her smoke.  
"Most of them smoke it with me."  
"My buyers do too. I then made sick, throw up many," Sheila complained.  
"Hey, Sheila, that reminds me. You know when Mary's baby is due?"  
"One month."  
"We should name it 'Moonchild' when the mortal body is complete."  
"SHUT UP ABOUT 'MOONCHILD' ALREADY!!!"  
Tricia exhaled slowly, "You are such a rock person."  
  
*** ***   
  
"Look, I know it sounds stupid, we're _not_ here for a love session. We believe that my cousin, a little boy,   
wandered into here. Please let me go check," Jeremy ordered, panting.  
"That will be 5 gold," the clerk said singsong.  
"LISTEN! You stupid little FREAK! I am NOT having a good DAY! Let ME go BEHIND the CURTAIN to JUST LOOK for my   
little COUSIN! That's all I want. I'm happily married..."  
"That's a new line," the clerk said, not looking up from her nail filing.  
"Please, for the love of the Gods, let me go behind there to just see..."  
"Is your 'cousin' really back there or do you just want to see some naked, sweaty, tanned female bodies, or male,   
whatever, I don't know your preferences, without the commitment."  
"Okay, I'm going to be calm now. Is there anything I can do?" Jeremy said leaning against the desk.  
"Well, tell me what you want to do and I'll tell you what can be done," the clerk said, and for the first time,   
looked up at her pest.  
"I want to find my cousin. Understand?"  
"Perfectly. I love family commitment in a man. _So_ rare these days."  
"I think he's back there with your co-workers. I want to go back there to find him and bring him to the dock   
within five minutes. What can I do about this?"  
The clerk leaned back in her chair and tapped her file against her chin, "Weeeellll..." She immediately popped   
upright, "you could give me five gold."  
Jeremy slammed his fists against the table, "Dammit! I do _NOT_ have time for this!" He turned to Gourry, "Gourry,   
can I borrow your sword for a second."  
"What for?"  
"Just give it."  
Gourry handed the sword to Jeremy frowning, "Don't make this worse..."  
Too bad, Jeremy whipped around and pointed the tip at the obviously frightened clerk's throat.  
"I want to go back there NOW."  
  
*** ***  
  
Marie looked at the clock, "Oh, my turn to do rounds outside. Tricia, can you watch Sail for me?" Marie asked as   
Tricia lit up another (her fifth so far and it was only eleven o'clock) Blur Candle. The flame crackled and popped   
and turned blue and black.  
"Sure, Marie. I'll watch Moonchild."  
"Sail! His name is Sail!" Marie stomped to the door, quickly composed herself and walked out. Tricia looked at   
Sail or Moonchild, having two names sure was confusing, looking through a box of unmentionable love toys for special   
customers with special needs.  
"Moonchild. Those are not for you," Tricia led him away from the box and sat cross-legged in front of him, "I will   
not let you become a 'rock person'. Not if I have anything to say about it."  
"#Okay. Whatever.#"  
"You must search for your 'inner light' and listen to lullaby of the Great Mother Earth who loves you."  
"#I though my Mama loved me. I do not know this 'Earth' person.#"  
"Here, Moonchild," Tricia reached into the opening of her flimsy gauze dress and brought out another Blur Candle,   
"put this end in your mouth." Zel/Sail/Moonchild took the Blur Candle and put the indicated end into his mouth.  
He mumbled through his teeth, "#This tastes funny.#"  
"Now, do not be afraid of the fire. When it touches the key to the 'inner light', it will not burn you and your   
journey will begin." Tricia took out her lighter and held to the other end of the Blue Candle. The end hit the flame and   
it crackled and popped. "Now, breathe in, Moonchild."  
He did and immediately wished he hadn't. His eyes watered and his nose burned on the inside. His stomach   
liquefied and his heart was kicking his ribs.   
"Now, take the key out and breath out." He did so and felt a little better.  
"Now repeat." He violently shook his head. He noticed off-handily that someone was yelling in what he assumed was   
the front room. "The first time is always the hardest. It gets easier." Well, she seemed to know what was going on. He   
shrugged and took another big breath of the Blur Candle. It was still bad but he knew that Tricia was an Adult and   
Adults always knew best. Why question?  
Pretty soon, he didn't need Tricia's instruction on when to breathe in and out, it was like he was a natural at   
this "enlightening" thing or whatever he was doing, she never exactly explained. Anyway, the more he did it, the   
better it felt and became less of a jolt. But his head started to feel a little fuzzy and everything seemed to be   
covered in a thick gauze, wafting in front of him. He also felt very happy and very loved and loving. He loved everyone   
in the room. He felt kind of sleepy and it was suddenly hard to sit up on his own.  
Tricia looked concerned, "Moonchild, don't sleep now. Stay awake," the words sounded warped, like melted chocolate   
in the summer noon sun. He laughed at the difference in sound. Tricia pushed him against the wall and left him. She   
swam back (or so it appeared to Zel/Sail/Moonchild) with a plate with a brownie on it.  
"Eat this, and listen to the Great Mother Earth calling you," she said as she handed him a fork.   
Oh yeah! He was supposed to be listening to this Great Mother Earth person. He was really going to try hard this   
time. He ate the brownie and everything slowed down for him, nearly stopping.   
"#I love you, Tricia.#  
  
  
*** ***  
  
The clerk nearly ran into one of her employees.  
"Where do big men come in from?" Sheila demanded, her eyes reflecting the light of the blade.  
"They're looking for someone here," the clerk explained.  
"No do all?" Sheila remarked, "Big men look for women, yes?"  
"No, we're looking for a child," Gourry explained, "I want my sword back, Jeremy," he nudged Jeremy, who said   
nothing.  
"You big _sick_ man."  
"Huh?... Oh! No! Not like that! He may have ran in here. He ran away for some reason and... hey! There he is!"   
Gourry pointed at the far corner where Tricia and Zel sat.   
Gourry walked over to the pair and heard Tricia saying, "Listen, for She loves you..."  
"Hey! Zel, come on! We got a boat to catch!"  
"#I love you, Big Guy,#" Zel looked up at Gourry with adoring eyes.  
"Hey!" Gourry turned to Jeremy, who was walking over, "he's in a better mood now. He looks kind of sleepy   
somehow."  
"Sleepy?" Jeremy asked.   
"#I love you, Jer.#" Jeremy bent to pick him up and noticed his eyes.  
"Cephied! His eyes are dilated! He's been drugged."  
"No," Tricia interrupted, "Moonchild is on a journey to find his 'inner light' and hear the voice of the Great   
Mother Earth who loves us."  
"Terrific, he's still drugged though! What did you give him, you harpie!"  
"You are such a 'rock person'. You should listen to the Great Mother..."  
"I don't care! Tell me what you gave him so we can leave!"  
"You are not taking Moonchild. I will not give him to a 'rock person' who will diminish his spiritual being and   
deafened him to the voice of the Great Mother Earth."  
"Huh? I understood, like, none of that," Gourry shook her head in bewilderment.  
"Just tell me what you gave him!" Jer demanded.  
"Fine, you blind 'rock person'. I let him experience what you 'rock people' call 'Blur Candle'" Jeremy moaned at   
this. "and a brownie made with Dream Tea leaves baked in."  
"Okay, he'll probably live but he's going to out for a while, Gourry. You're going to have to carry him," Jeremy   
said, sighing.  
"I don't mind. He's sedated, right? That means out to lunch. He won't resist going now. He'll be a good boy,"   
Gourry said, patting the completely mellow Zel, "maybe we should keep some handy, just in case Zel gets too depressed   
and gets annoying about it."  
"If your friend is depressed," Tricia interrupted, getting out another Blur Candle and revealing almost all of   
her cleavage in the process, "it is because he turned his ears away from the Great Mother Earth's comforting voice. If   
he stops and listens, he will be at peace."  
"Yeah, maybe that's it," Gourry said, heaving Zel over his shoulder.  
"You, Blonde Man, are not a 'rock person'. I trust Moonchild in your hands. Do not fail him," Tricia bowed   
deeply, again showing that lovely cleavage as Gourry was dragged away.  
"Yeah, great. Let's go," Jeremy ordered as they went out the back door. Once outside, he turned to Gourry and   
said, "Look, don't encourage them, okay?"  
"I thought it was sound advice."  
"Did you look at her eyes? They were completely glazed over. She was babbling."  
"I wonder what the Great Mother Earth sounds like," Gourry asked the sky. The sky had no reply. The trio made   
their way to the docks, hoping they hadn't missed the boat.   
Literally.   
  
To be continued...  
  
*-My term for how everyone in Slayers can speak the same   
language.  
  
Author's Notes: Okay. I say this loud and clear: I do NOT support drug use! I hate drugs, come on, I don't even like   
alcohol! I just use drugs for humor purposes in stories, not in real life. I do not support drugs. Do not flame me about   
this.   
Anyway, the whole drug scene was actually spoofing a similar scene in a book I recently read. Basically, three brothers   
stop at a bar and a dwarf (this was a fantasy book) invites them to "dwarf spirits". The youngest doesn't want to at   
first but his oldest brother makes him try and, well, he doesn't hold it very well and starts telling everyone about   
how much he loves them, even if his audience is someone he just met. He eventually falls asleep on the floor, his last   
thoughts being about how much he loves his brothers (whom he hated only minutes before) If you want to read it, it's in   
the book "The Second Generation" by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The story is called "Wanna Bet?" (The book itself   
is a collection a short novellas. "Wanna Bet?" is the best story in there.)  
  
Anyway, C&C are needed and welcome at destinyplot@lycos.com.   
And I don't support drugs!  



	14. Hidden

Chapter 14: Hidden  
  
"#I do not love you anymore!#" The rest of Zel's words were lost in throwing up over the side of the boat.  
"Mister Gourry, how could you?"  
"Smooth move, Gourry."  
Gourry gave up trying to prove his innocence. For the past four hours of their trip, Lina and Amelia verbally and   
physically abused him.  
"This conversation is getting really old. I already said sorry about ten times," Gourry moaned.  
"But what you allowed was simply evil, Mister Gourry!"  
"You should've caught him BEFORE he got there!"  
"Was that... never mind."  
  
*** ***  
  
The trip itself took two days. The shore of the island Mead was muggy and overgrown with weeds.  
"I have no idea why you guys want to come here of all places," the young captain, not much older than Gourry,   
said, scratching his head, "I mean, there's nothing here that's worth seeing. Look, I could take you to Matha, it's   
only a hour away, I hear it's beautiful..."  
"No, thanks for the offer, though," Lina said, whom had been wondering the same thing herself, "What are we _doing_   
here?" she asked herself.  
"Well, when you're done looking around at nothing but weeds, on the southwestern side, there's a bridge leading to   
Aca. They're great boatmen and I'm sure one of them will take you back to Hayla for a small fee."  
"Thanks for the advice," Gourry said. The captain departed, eager to get his cargo to his buyers, leaving Lina   
and the others on the dismal shore.  
"This place sucks! Who'd want to live here?!" Lina complained, sitting down on the shore.  
"I'm beginning to doubt that people do," Gourry added.  
"It is pretty bleak looking, isn't it?" Amelia said, near tears.   
"#I want to go home!#" Zel whined.  
"You and me both, Master Zelgadis."  
Lina shook herself out of her sulking and said, "Well, sitting here and complaining about the aesthetics of the   
place is not going to help Zel. Let's find this temple, get his body back together, and go to Aca."  
"But, we don't even know where the temple is, Lina," Gourry commented.  
"Then we go LOOK for it! Come on!" Lina moved to charge into the overgrowth when Gourry noticed something.  
"Hey, Lina, wait! Aren't those plants nettles?" Gourry called after her.  
Lina looked down, "Uh, yeah, they are."  
Amelia looked at the trees, "Those are poison ivy trees, too!"  
"Fine! We won't go this way, we'll go another way."   
Lina led the group farther down the shore. At first, Amelia thought one of the entrances was safe... until she nearly   
banged her head against a huge beehive. Later on, Gourry nearly walked into hot spring. Not one of those nice hot   
springs, he nearly walked into a hot spring that give the victim third-degree burns and are covered in colorful   
bacteria. A nearby raccoon convinced Gourry to find another route when it stumbled into the spring and died there.  
"What is with this island?! How do you get inside?!" Lina screamed in frustration, tearing her hair out.  
"These people must really not like people," Gourry said.  
"How do these people get supplies?" Amelia wondered aloud.  
"WHAT people? I haven't seen anyone on this stupid island! We've have been walking around for four hours and we   
haven't seen any signs of human activity! It's a GHOST island! We're wasting our time! Look, we're nearly at the   
place where we started!"  
"#There is a path here,#" Zel interrupted, pointing to the nicely cleared off path.   
"Oh, look, there's a path here, silly me," Lina amended.  
"Hey, Lina, isn't this funny? If we had gone the other way, we would've gotten here in under ten minutes," Gourry   
laughed.   
Lina then punched him in the jaw, "IT'S _NOT_ FUNNY AT ALL!!!"  
"No, I guess not," Gourry mumbled, trying to put his jaw back into alignment.  
They walked down the path. Inside, the vegetation was much more organized, "They probably put those weeds and   
stuff on the outside to keep people out," Amelia figured.   
They walked for hours on end.  
"Okay, we found a path but it doesn't GO anywhere!" Lina moaned.  
"#I am bored,#" Zel said.  
"I know," Amelia agreed, half-heartedly.  
"#Well, I am.#"  
"What do you want me do about it?"  
"#I have to got potty too.#"  
"Guys, I think we should rest," Amelia suggested. Lina plunked down on a rock wordlessly and held her head in her   
hands, "No people, no town, no inn, no food, nothing. There is absolutely nothing here," Lina complained quietly to   
herself.  
"Mister Gourry, can you take Master Zelgadis somewhere?"  
"Why?"  
"He has to go."  
"Go where?"  
"He has to just GO."  
"Go WHERE?"  
"Mister Gourry, nature is calling him."  
"He can talk to trees, too?"  
Lina threw a small stone at Gourry, "Jellyfish, she means he has to go to the bathroom!"  
"Why didn't she just say so?" Gourry took Zel into the underbrush to do his business.  
  
*** ***  
  
After they had rested, they continued on. Eventually, they reached a town.  
"Thanks the gods, a town!" Lina cried. She ran ahead of them towards the largest building. Gourry, Amelia and Zel   
ran after her. To Lina's dismay, the building was not an inn but a town hall.   
She sat down and cried, "It's not fair! I've traveled so far. I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm utter   
bereft! WAAAA!!!"   
"Lina..."  
"Go away! Let me die in peace!"  
"Miss Lina..."  
"WHAT?!"  
"You just passed the inn," Gourry pointed behind him.   
Across the street and two doors down was a building attached to a swinging sign with a plate surrounded by a knife   
and fork above a bed.  
"Oh." They helped Lina up and walked towards the inn. Amelia noticed that some of the houses had little plaques on   
them with a picture of a woman figure under a house shape. Under the picture, there was an inscription but Amelia was   
too far away to read it.   
"Miss Lina, have you ever seen plaques like that?"  
"No, never. Wonder what that's all about."  
When they reached the inn, it too has a similar plaque and Amelia read the inscription: "Safe house."  
"'Safe house'? What's that got to do with anything?" Gourry asked. The girls shrugged. Zel, meanwhile, was   
climbing on to the bench under the plaque and touched it. He saw a flash of a woman getting her throat slit.   
"#My grandmother...#" Zel said.  
"What about her, Master Zelgadis?" Amelia asked.  
"#My grandmother died here.#"  
"How do you know that?"  
"#I saw it when I touched the plaque.#"  
"What's he talking about?" Lina asked.  
"He says that his grandmother died here. The plaque told him," Amelia shrugged.  
"We-ird."  
They went inside and ordered tons of food. When the food was half gone, Lina called the waitress over, "Hey,   
what's up with all those plaques?"  
"Oh, it's a very sad story," the quiet girl replied, her audience had to lean over to hear her, "Long ago, a   
woman with a baby came running into town, late at night. She screamed that someone was trying to kill her and begged to   
be let into a house. Not wanting to get involved, no one let her in."  
"What's happened?" Amelia asked.  
"The man got her. No one could clearly identify the man, nor the woman. The woman's throat was slit. The next   
morning, the people found her in a pool of blood. But the strangest thing is," she looked straight at them, "the baby   
was gone."  
"Gone? Did the man take it?" Gourry asked.  
"We don't know. No one saw the man take it and even so, the woman fell face first, the baby would've been crushed   
under her. To get to the baby, they would have flip over the woman. There was no sign that the woman had been touched,   
besides the slit throat. It was as if the baby had vanished."  
"That's so creepy," Amelia said, holding on to Zel's hand, "isn't it, Master Zelgadis?" Zel shrugged.  
"But why all the plaques? You said no one knew the woman," Lina asked.  
"When the people found the body, they realized that it was their fault the woman had died. They then set up the   
'Safe House' policy. If someone is in trouble, they can go to the houses with the 'Safe House' plaques on them and be   
given protection."  
"I think that's a beautiful policy," Amelia commented, shaking off the jetters.  
"Thank you. Is there anything else you want?"  
"Yeah, chicken dinner for twelve and some information about your island," Lina ordered.  
"Of course," the girl smiled but when her back was turned, her smile turned into a scowl.  
"There's something about that story that doesn't add up. I mean, where did the baby go?" Lina leaned back into   
her chair.  
"Maybe it wasn't really hurt and walked away," Gourry offered.   
Lina pulled Gourry in a head lock, "Gourry! That's the stupidest thing I've EVER heard. Even you are not that   
stupid!"  
"Okay, maybe it didn't," Gourry replied.  
"Wasn't that story what Misses Veronica saw in her vision?" Amelia offered.  
"Yeah, and Zel here claims the woman was his grandmother," Lina's face scrunched, "but how can that woman   
be Zel's grandmother if she got her throat slit?"  
"And the baby's head got smashed in?" Amelia added.  
"Supposedly. The baby disappeared, remember?"  
"Maybe the woman had another kid," Gourry suggested.  
"_After_ she had her throat slit?" Lina glared at him.  
"No, no, no. _Before_ she got her throat slit."  
"Then where was that other kid?" Amelia asked.  
"At home, probably."  
"So, she just left her kid at home?" Lina asked, doubtfully.  
"Look! I was just giving a suggestion!"  
"Thanks for playing, Gourry."   
The waitress came back with the food and nearly walked off when Lina ordered, "Hey!   
Wait! I want some information!"  
The waitress whirled around, "Oh, yes. Forgot."  
"This is Mead, right?"  
"Yes, and this is the town of Harra," the waitress said proudly.  
"Do you know where the old Death Angel temple is? I hear it's on this island."  
"It is."  
"Great! Then where is it?" The waitress was walking away but Lina grabbed her shoulder, "I wasn't finished."  
"I was, Miss."  
"Look, where is the temple?"  
"The temple of what?"  
"The Death Angels! I just said so!"  
"No, you just said 'where is the temple?'"  
"Never mind. Just tell me where to find the Temple of the Death Angels."  
The waitress crossed her arms, "I don't see why you want to go there, there's nothing there to look at. It's   
just a big building!"  
"I don't care about tourist attractions! Where is it?"  
"There. Is. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. There!"  
"Do you _want_ me to blow up this inn? 'Cause I will if you don't tell me!"  
"Fine! It's on the mountain. The path leading to it is at the end of town! Happy?" The waitress shouted.  
"Yes, very happy. Thanks for your time," Lina said and with that, sat down and ate her food. The waitress scowled   
and ran out of the inn.   
"How weird. What's wrong with telling us where the temple is?" Amelia asked.  
"Who cares? We'll go tomorrow morning," Lina ordered.  
  
*** ***  
  
After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast of leftovers (for some reason the innkeeper was gone), they set   
out for the Temple. The streets were silent. No children were playing, no women were hanging out clothes, the sound   
of the smith hitting hot iron was missing.  
"I don't like this, something's up," Gourry said, holding his sword.  
"Yeah, it's too quiet out here. It's unnatural," Lina agreed.  
They continued, conscious of the silence until the reached the cemetery. The cemetery was not enclosed. The   
tombstones were all uniform shape and size, all of them were equal distance apart. The trees hung low, as if they were   
sick and tired of standing up straight. A few dismal flowers tried to grow but their height and beauty was stunted by the   
morbid air of the place.  
The crew passed the cemetery, which stood at the crest of a hill and starting heading downhill. They noticed all   
the people there.  
"Maybe a trade wagon comes this way," Gourry explained, shrugging.  
"But aren't they facing the wrong way? They're facing us," Amelia shivered.   
As they grew closer, they knew that the crowd was not waiting for a trade wagon. They were armed with pitchforks   
and shovels. Some had swords and maces. Even the children were armed with little clubs. All of them gave the group a   
belligerent glance.  
"They don't look too happy with us," Gourry whispered.  
"We have to go through them to get to the path to the Temple," Lina whispered back. This looked really bad. To the   
crowd, she said, "Hey, could you let us pass, please? We need to get to the Temple."  
The sturdiest man there stepped forward and boomed, "We can not let you pass." He unsheathed his sword to prove his   
point.  
"Why not?"  
"It is FORBIDDEN!"   
"We have to go there," Lina barked back.  
"Then you will DIE!"  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's Notes: This chapter was easier because now I know what I want to do. I planned this part before everything   
else. What will happened to our brave heroes? Will Zel be put back together? Will I finish this before school starts   
up again? Find out next time in Chapter 15! In the meantime, send me C&C at destinyplot@lycos.com since Netaddress turned   
evil and started charging and Angelfire wouldn't let me send mail so I'm at that address now. Don't bother writing to the   
usa.net nor the angelfire.com address because it will be cancelled July 31, 2001 and I won't be checking it anyway.   
So send me C&C there! See ya later!  



	15. Orders

Chapter Fifteen: Orders  
  
"Whoa! These people are serious!" Gourry took out his own sword.  
"Why can't we go to the Temple?" Lina demanded.  
The man replied, "Because the Temple is the holiest of holy grounds, not meant for any mortal nor any god not   
welcomed and called for by the Death Angels. If we let you pass, not only would your souls be doomed but our souls as   
well. Our peaceful island would become a private torture chamber! We can not ALLOW THIS!" The people charged forward.  
"Miss Lina! They'll kill us! Do something!" Amelia trembled and put her arms around Zel, who strangely, pushed   
her away. "Master Zelgadis? What are you doing?" Zel looked at her and then the crowd. Turning, he ran towards the area   
outside the entrance of the cemetery. "Master Zelgadis! Come back here!"  
Zelgadis pointed his finger at the graveyard and said in a hollow voice,   
"#I, who come to bring you here,  
Thus, now, I bring you out  
Show these fools who you truly serve  
Enter again these ranshackled corpses  
Live again and yet be dead for my purpose  
Obey me! You serve only me!  
I am your Master!  
I am your Master!  
I AM YOUR MASTER!#"  
Lightning struck against the darkening sky. A great moan was heard from the graveyard. Hundreds of voices with   
skeletal throats spoke perhaps for the first time in centuries. The skeletal arms pushed themselves out of the   
ground. The stench was overpowering, many children began to cry from the smell.  
"My gods! What is that?" The man trying to strike down Gourry observed. Amelia screamed.  
"Oh my GODS! The corpses have come to life! Look!" Amelia shaking to fear. The grayed skin of death hung   
loosely on most of the forms but some had not been dead for long and still had most of their flesh clinging on. These   
were the most frightening of the undead.  
The women and men alike screamed. Some recognized their recently deceased, lost wives, husbands and children,   
limping towards the small boy who had summoned them.  
"Lina," Gourry ran over to an awe-struck Lina, "do you notice something?"  
"What? You mean you just noticed the dead coming out of the graves?!"  
"No, look at their eyes," Gourry turned Lina's head so she would see his line of vision, "They're not just re-  
animated puppets, they're not just decayed dolls. They're alive! They're have souls. They're living people in decayed   
bodies. He just resurrected the entire cemetery but not their bodies!"  
"Oh my Gods! How is he doing this?!"  
Amelia could not move from her spot beside Zel. She just shivered and wanted to scream but none came out.   
Everything inside had simply vanished.  
When most of the corpses had escaped their coffins, Zel pointed at where the crowd was heavier, "#Kill the people of   
this village. They stand in my way.#" He pointed to Lina, Gourry, and Amelia, "#Do not harm those three in any way.#  
The undead lurched forward, the recently deceased with a sad look in their eyes.   
A man in a cleric's robe moved to the front, waving his arms and screamed, "Bow, you fools! Bow if you want to live!   
Bow! Bow! Bow!" All the people, including Lina, Gourry and Amelia, got to the ground as fast as they could. Even the   
children did not squirm.  
As the front line of the undead reached Zel's back, he sharply put his arms out, blocking them, "#Stop.#" And they   
did.  
He turned to the bowed Amelia, "#Lady, ask them if they will let us pass.#"  
Amelia repeated the question and cleric screamed, "Yes! Go! You are obviously allowed to go! Just don't make our   
dead loved ones kill us! We are deeply sorry!"  
Zel smiled in the cutest little boy way imaginable, unbecoming of someone who had just resurrected a bunch of   
decayed people to do his bidding, and ordered the dead to return to their graves and their souls to the AfterLife.  
The sky brightened up and the people rose cautiously. Zel took Amelia's hand and said cheerfully, "#Let us go   
now!#" and pulled on her arm. The people did not try to stop their journey into the forest leading up to the Death Angel   
Temple, which was called Last Run Forest.  
  
*** ***  
  
After the town was out of sight and a few nerves were allowed to calm down, Lina turned on Zel and demanded, "Just   
where and when did you learn such a scary spell like that?!"  
"#I do not know. The words just came to me. I can not even remembered them now.#"   
Amelia repeated this to which Lina replied, "You just don't suddenly do a spell about messing around with corpses   
and their souls just out of thin air."  
"#I said, 'I do not know'! I wish I did but I do not!#"  
"Look, Lina," Gourry said, "he doesn't know. Maybe he made it up. Someone had to make up those spells you cast   
right?"  
"That's not exactly the same thing, Gourry!"  
"I think it is. One day, this guy is walking around and he sees a dragon and the dragon sees him so he's about to be   
eaten. He thinks to himself, 'Hm, I wish I could kill this dragon so I don't get eaten. Shabawhatshisface could defeat   
this thing. I know! I'll just describe him and then the dragon will blow up!' So, he makes a nice poem about   
Shabawhoever and boom! The Dragon-Slave!"  
Lina turned red and grabbed Gourry's shirt, "Do you realize just how STUPID you sounded?! 'Oh, some guy just   
wrote a poem and that's the Dragon-Slave'! Give me a break! Magic spells were not written by a guy who just bored one   
day..."  
"I didn't say he was bored..."  
"Who cares! That's not the point! Magic spells are created by using and understanding the magical properties of   
words!"  
"So, words are magical?"  
"Yes, Gourry, words are magical."  
"So, cake's magical? 'Oh, cake! Grant me power, oh magnificent cake!'" Gourry held his arms in the air and   
brought them down, locked his arms in front of him, palms out, and screamed, "CAKE!" Birds flew off overhead. Gourry   
turned to Lina, "That didn't work. I thought words were magical."  
Lina turned beet-red and locked Gourry in a choke-hold, "GOURRY! First off, that's not even a spell! Secondly, you   
don't have any magical abilities! And THIRDLY, YOU CAN'T JUST USE ANY OLD WORD!!!!"  
"Well, how do you tell the difference?!"  
"Look, Gourry, I am NOT going to waste MY TIME explaining the basic fundamentals of magic and YOU WOULDN'T   
GET IT ANYWAY!"  
"Your journey ends here."  
"Huh?" Lina and Gourry said at the same time.  
Before them were five faint spirits and among them were...  
"Worf! Raistlin!" Gourry pointed at the pair.  
"You mean Zolf and Rodimus," Lina corrected.  
"I was close."  
"Where did you get 'Raistlin' from 'Rodimus'?"  
"They both begin with R's, right?"  
The spirits looked unsure but the leader again repeated, with uncertainty in his voice, "Your journey ends   
here."  
"Where did these things come from?"  
"I was shouting and screaming as loud as I could about them but nobody was listening to me," Amelia sighed.  
"You could've at least tapped me or something," Lina replied.  
"What? And be hit and still be ignored?"  
"I said, your journey ends here!" The spirit leader repeated.  
"Yeah, we heard you the first time," Lina said, dropping Gourry.  
"Actually, that's the fifth time he's said that," Amelia said.  
"Fine! We heard you the third, fourth and fifth time! Happy?"  
"Your journey ends here!"  
"You've said that! We know! Is that all you can say?!" Lina stamped her foot.  
"That's the sixth time," Amelia said.  
"I don't care!" Lina barked back at her.  
The spirit leader looked near tears, "Look! I don't like this anymore than you do but I have to say that until   
you ask what we want of you!" He sighed, "Let's try this again. Your journey ends here."  
"Oh, Great Wandering Spirits, why do you stay in our path? What do you want of us?" Lina said monotone and   
stiffly, "Geez, such red tape!"  
The leader spirit put on a deep, booming undead voice, "We are the damned souls who sinned in our mortal doings!   
Now we are cursed to guard this pass from mortals such as yourselves. Fear us! No sword can stop our step and we enjoy   
the smell of your draining blood!"  
"Ew!" Amelia protested.  
"What corny lines! You think if you had the rest of your AfterLife, you'd write some better lines."  
The leader moaned, "Look, we don't write this stuff. We're just required to say it. It's part of the job."  
"Do you really enjoy the stench of draining blood?" Amelia asked.  
"It's alright. It's not bad, but there's better smells."  
"Look, is there something else we got to say to get through? Do we have to cut you up or what?" Gourry asked.  
"Well, first, I have to tell you what you have to do or..." he switched back to the booming voice, "face our   
wraiths!" He switched to his normal voice, "You know. The drill."  
"Let's hear it then."  
"You must give the child to us and leave this place!" The leader boomed.  
"Then...?"  
"That's it. Give us the kid and you go free," the leader shrugged.  
"Well, we just can't do that. He's our friend and we've busted our butts getting here. Sorry, looks like we'll have   
to fight," Lina smiled, "but we're keeping Zel no matter what."  
"I'm afraid that's not in your hands," three animalistic voices growled. Two trees fell away from each   
other revealing a three-headed black giant dog.  
"What-what-what is that?" Amelia shrieked.  
"I am Cerberus, watchdog of the gates to the AfterLife," The middle head informed them. The left head   
answered, "The boy is coming with me."  
"You can't just do that!" Amelia screamed.  
"Ha! You have no idea what I can do!" The right head laughed. The dog lunged at Zel and showed him the pearly   
white teeth.  
"#Where are you going to take me?#" Zel asked.  
"To the Temple of the Death Angels. The left head responded.  
"#But they have to go with me!#"  
"Ha! They are no longer needed! They can get to the Temple, of course, but they must defeat all these guardsmen   
to be allowed to continue." The middle head replied and all the heads laughed.  
"#ALL of them?#"  
"Every last one," the right head growled.  
"#But, they can not do that!#" The little boy ran to the spirits and directed his attention at Zolf and Rodimus,   
"#I do not know how I know you but I know I owe you a great deal for something I can not recall. I know you mean a great   
deal to me, but I do not know the exact reasons.#" He turned to the guard-dog, who was very close behind him, "#Please,   
free these two men. Do not let them be killed by my other friends. I will come willingly if you promise.#"  
The heads laughed, the middle head spoke, "It does not matter to me whether you come peacefully or not! No, I will   
not grant your wish because there is no purpose to it!"  
"Oh, come now," a woman's voice echoed but its source was unseen, "I think that is a splendid wish. Grant it,   
Cerberus, it will do us no harm."  
"That voice!" Lina said, "It's the voice of the blonde woman at the inn!"  
Cerberus scoffed but granted Zolf and Rodimus new life.  
"We're alive! Zolf, we're alive!" Rodimus said, shaking his living comrade.  
"Oh, Master Zelgadis! Thank you! We will repay you!" Zolf said.  
The middle head grabbed Zel by the collar and flipped him on to his back and ran off, Zel screaming the entire   
time.  
The voice came again, "Spirits. Let these mortals pass. They suit my purposes." The spirits nodded and dissipated.  
"What the...?"  
"They're still here," Zolf explained, "they just took a less solid form."  
"Oh, what a tragedy that has fallen upon our Master," Rodimus whimpered, "we must help you. We know the way."  
  
*** ***  
  
"Just up this path," Zolf pointed right in front of them, "do you see the temple in the distance?"  
"Yeah, I see it," Lina said, "do we just keep going until we hit the temple?"  
"No, there's a river in the way."  
"So what? I can swim just fine. A river isn't an obstacle."  
"This one is," Rodimus interrupted, "It may look like a normal river but it's the River of Guilt. The minute you   
step in it, it fills your mind with altered memories. You believe you killed people that are very much alive or caused   
the death of someone whose blood wasn't on your hands."  
"Does this last forever?" Gourry asked.  
"No," Zolf answered, "as soon as you step out, your memories return to normal. But most don't get that far. If   
the guilty memories don't get you, the zombies will."  
"Zombies?" Amelia squeaked.  
"Oh yes. All the people that have drowned there are trapped in there. They claw at you and try to drown you as   
well. The river makes them look like your loved ones but only they're decaying and rotting."   
"Look! On that rock! Isn't that Zel?" Gourry shouted.   
Indeed, Zel was calmly sitting on a rock just off the road. They ran to it and Zel turned and smiled. Zolf and   
Rodimus got closest to him, "Are you alright, Master Zelgadis?"  
"#I am fine!#" Zel smiled again, "#I managed to escape that dog. Now we can keep going!#" But before anyone could   
respond, still smiling, Zel took out a knife and stabbed Zolf in the heart. He turned on Rodimus and cut his head off   
with the ax hanging on Rodimus' belt.   
The trio were horrified at the carnage that the little kid had caused. Zel stood up on the rock and his voice   
changed to the voice of the woman, "Ah! Aren't I merciful? I granted these two a chance at new life. Now they will   
happily go to the AfterLife and live their deaths in peace and comfort!" She laughed, "Zelgadis will be mine and I will   
take him where he belongs! No one will stop me!" The image of Zel faded away.  
"What are we going to do now?" Lina asked herself.  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's Notes: This was easier. The problem was finding a good ending point. I hope you enjoyed it but why don't you   
tell me about how you feel at destinyplot@lycos.com! See you later!   
  



	16. Race

Chapter Sixteen: Race  
  
"Here's the wall," Victoria said. The wall in question was the boundary between Heaven, where the righteous lived   
their deaths in peace and comfort, and Hell, where the wicked were in eternal torment.   
"And how are we going to pass through it?" William, her husband asked, "Only Death Angels can pass through."  
"Unless, you are already one, Victoria," Rezo added.  
"The truth comes out at last," Victoria shut her eyes.  
"I was just kidding, Victoria, I never thought..."  
"YOU'RE A DEATH ANGEL?!" William and Hannah yelled in unison.  
"I was. Not anymore. But I still have some of my powers and I can get us through the wall," Victoria placed one hand   
against the wall, which rippled like gray water, "Take my hand, Rezo, and William, take his hand and Hannah, take   
William's hand." They did as she requested and she pushed the rippled wall, "I'm sorry, but this will sting."  
They passed through with no problems and Hannah was about to complain about the unnecessary precaution when her   
heart exploded.   
To be more precise, her heart was stabbed by an invisible knife and the blood rushed everywhere. The worst   
thing is since she was already dead, she had an endless supply of blood so she would never pass out.  
She looked around and Rezo was screaming and clutching at his chest, "My eyes! I'm blind again!" William's skin was   
burning and some parts blacken and peeled off, only to be replaced by new skin which began to fry as well. He was   
running around in circles, screaming in agony. Victoria had fallen to her knees and looked very pale.  
"What... the... HELL... did... you do?!" Hannah demanded, since no one else could. Her dress was blood-  
logged and more was coming.  
"I didn't do this. This is Hell, remember? Since we did nothing wrong, there is no punishment for us. In Hell,   
unlike Heaven, your pain from death never goes away. Your ailments never go away. Nothing changes," Victoria gasped,   
"We must get going. I'll support Rezo. Don't touch William or you'll catch on fire as well." Victoria grabbed Rezo's   
arm and called out to William. William managed to compose himself long enough to stay near them, but he writhed and   
scratched at himself.  
They walked on and on, for ungodly miles, each in unspeakable agony. Hannah slipped in her own blood many   
times during their journey. She heard many moaning in agony. Their fates were sealed but she wished them a better future   
anyway. She thought she heard someone calling her name but she ignored it. But the voice came again. She looked for the   
source, "Aunt Hannah!"  
"Alfred!" She ran towards her deceased nephew, "My dear Alfred!" She hugged him, Blood gushed from him as well, the   
wound he had received from his "helpers".  
"Aunt Hannah, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Heaven. This isn't right," Alfred coughed up more   
blood.  
"I'm here to go to the Death Angel palace. I'm going to save that Zelgadis boy."  
"But... why?"  
"I have reasons." She stroked his hair.  
"Aunt Hannah, your group is leaving without you!" Alfred pointed after the group, who were quite some distance   
away.  
"My Goodness! Good-bye!" She stumbled (she couldn't run with a big hole in her) after them.   
When she caught up, she breathlessly demanded, "Couldn't you wait ten seconds?!"  
"We don't have the time. As we speak, my boy is being led to the Death Angel Temple where he will be taken,   
willingly or not, to that palace to become one of them. And when that happens," Victoria stared at her straight in the   
eyes, "your daughter will most likely marry some fat guy and kill herself in a bathroom." She smiled, "You act so shocked   
that I knew about that. I check up on his friends' fates once in a while, that crossed my path a couple times. Don't   
think for one second that I truly believed that you really cared about my 'hopeless situation' and are doing this out   
of the 'kindness of your heart'. I wasn't fooled!" Victoria turned away and kept walking. Hannah stamped her foot in the   
dry dust and ran to get in front of her.  
"You're right! I don't care about your stupid son! I think he deserves to become a Death Angel, I really don't   
care and if I could find a way to stop my daughter's suicide, I would do it. But, let me tell you one thing! I   
gave up everything for my daughters! I knew that man was coming for my little Gracia, I went in her stead! You   
wouldn't UNDERSTAND my pain!" Hannah paused to let that sink into the other mother's head. Victoria just shook her head.   
"No," she said, quietly, "you listen. I gave up my station and the only family I had ever known to be with   
William. You didn't. My mother cursed my womb to produce no children. Your mother didn't. I still had my little Zelgadis   
and fought to the bitter end with his illness. You didn't. My sister told me that they were going to take away my   
little boy away forever or kill me. You didn't have to make that choice. Now, even though I did all that, they're still   
taking him. You don't understand my pain right now."  
Hannah stopped in her tracks, "You made yourself sick?"  
"My sisters did it but I agreed to it. It doesn't matter now."  
"I thought... I thought..."  
"I forgive you already. Just keep walking. We don't have much time."  
The group walked in silence. But before they knew what hit them, the air churned and Victoria grabbed everyone and   
jumped inside.  
  
  
*** ***  
  
Expecting another whiplash, Hannah screamed but there was no pain. Her dress was now clean. William was no longer   
burning and Rezo's eyes were open. Victoria stood up straight.  
"Here we are," she announced, "the courtyard of the Death Angels."  
Indeed, it was a courtyard. The palace loomed over them and the grass was unnaturally green. Hannah bent down to   
touch it and it felt like balls of cotton rather than grass.  
"We must hurry, if anyone sees us, we're doomed."  
"What will they do to us?" William asked.  
"They will throw us into Chaos where we will become nothing," Victoria answered solemnly.  
"Oh, that's nice!" Hannah chirped sarcastically.  
They sneaked around in the shadows, cautious for footfalls. They entered the main hall with was covered with   
golden paintings and sculptures. The hall was very narrow, only two abreast could walk it and the jade floor made them   
very loud creepers.  
"We need to get to the Transport Chamber, that's how we'll go to save Zelgadis," Victoria whispered.  
"Have you used it before?" Rezo asked.  
"Never."  
"Great! Just perfect! What if you screw up?" Hannah whispered back. They continued down the straight hall. After   
a mile or so, they came to a fork.  
"Which way?" Hannah asked.  
"I never actually even went to the room and I don't know where it is in relation to where we are..."  
"I believe you want to head down the right way," a monotone voice responded.  
The four jumped in the air. The speaker was pale and had dark brown eyes. Her wavy black hair fell to her shoulders.  
"We're doomed!" William shrieked.  
"Aurelia!" Victoria gasped. She knew they were doomed.   
She was her middle sister, the most impersonal of them all. She could see into the future and knew everyone's   
destiny. She cared little for mortal and immortal alike. "What is deserved, is deserved" was her philosophy.  
"You're far from doomed," Aurelia said, in her monotone voice, "I have been waiting for you. I will guide you to the   
Transport Chamber since I know Victoria does not know the way." Her smile was not pleasing. It was more frightening   
than pleasing, a smile that made one want to run away screaming.  
Hannah clung to Victoria, "She's... scaring me!"  
Rezo said, "It's a trap! Look at her smile!"  
Victoria laughed, "That's her happy smile! You're really helping us."   
"This whole business with your son is utterly pointless and childish," She shrugged slightly, "I could not stand by   
and watch this idiocy continue." She beckoned them to follow her down the empty hall.   
"Where is everyone?" William asked.  
"They're either collecting souls or preparing for your son's arrival," Aurelia answered in the same monotone voice,   
"They won't come near here." At the end of the hall, it forked again. This time they turned left.  
"Um, is this place nearby?" Hannah asked.  
"No, it is quite a distance," Aurelia answered, her expression unchanged, "but no one will come near us. I made   
sure of that."  
"Basically, you told everyone you would going to the Transport Chamber and everyone made sure not to be heading   
anywhere near there?" Victoria asked, although it wasn't really a question.  
"You remember us well, Little Sister."  
They continued down the winding corridors that didn't seem to go anywhere until they came to two gargantuan bronze   
doors labeled with diamond stars. Aurelia opened it with only a word and the door did not make any sound, not even a   
creak.  
"I must leave. You understand that if I'm found now, Ursula will show no mercy. She'll understand when this is   
all over but for now, I must leave." With that, Aurelia turned and left. She soon vanished into the dark.  
"We might as well go in," Rezo said.  
"Do you know what to do, Victoria?" Hannah asked. Victoria shook her head. "So, we're just going to WING it?!"  
"They might have instructions inside," Rezo said, walking into the room.  
"Hey! Wait up!" William ran in after him. The women followed. When everyone was inside, the door immediately   
shut.  
"We're trapped!" William pushed at the door while Victoria looked for any instructions. The room was gigantic   
and was dome-shaped. It was lit by an unknown source and made of bronze. In the center of the room was a large   
platform. The platform was round and inside was filled with blue electricity, that noisily crackled and popped. Victoria   
stretched her head to take a closer look into the energy but the energy pulled at her, nearly dragging her down. She   
managed to raised herself up again.  
"This is most likely the Transport Platform," she announced. William ceased his pushing, and asked, "How does   
it work?"  
"I believe it pulls you downwards."  
"And then...?"  
"I don't know."  
"You're a great help. You lived here for who knows how many centuries and you don't even know how this thing   
works?"  
"I never used it. I used the AfterLife Tunnel. It was quicker and easier."  
Hannah looked at the table along the left wall and discovered papers. Most were just maps with red dots on   
them. Most of the red dots were crossed out but some dots were untouched.   
"Hey," Hannah asked, indicating the maps, "what do the red dots mean?"  
"They're old Death Angel temples."  
"What does it mean when they're crossed out?"  
"There was a temple there but it was demolished thus not usable."  
"Why are the temples so important in the first place?" William asked.  
"Because the temple are the destinations of the Transport Platform."  
"So, you only go to one of these little red dots that aren't crossed out?" Hannah said, taking new interest in the   
maps. "Look!" Hannah ran over to Victoria, "the red dot on Mead isn't crossed out! Isn't that where our children are?"  
"I believe so. But I knew that already. The problem is I don't know how this works."  
Hannah replaced the map and searched the stacks of papers. One books was labeled, "Manual", which she flipped   
through. Inside was pictures of the room, the platform and the controls right in front of her, to the right of her and   
in the back corner of the room.  
"This might tell what to do!" Hannah said, handing Victoria the book.  
Victoria brightened, "Good job. This is the manual." She read through it and she frowned, "Uh oh."  
"Uh oh? What do you mean, 'uh oh'?" William asked, coming closer.  
"It says that 'one participant must be at each of the three control panels'," she pointed at the controls in the   
room, "'while the others travel through the Transport itself.' Meaning," she looked up, "only one of us can go."  
William sighed, "I can't go. I'm not a sorcerer and I'm not strong enough to fight to get Zelgadis back."  
Hannah shook her head, "I specialize in white magic and I can't fight."  
"And Zelgadis won't accept Rezo as his savior," Victoria interrupted before Rezo could volunteer, "so I   
guess it's up to me." The rest agreed and crowded around her, she smiled, "We have some cramming to do."  
  
*** ***  
  
After they were positively sure they knew the drill, they were ready to let Victoria go. They only had one shot,   
if anything went wrong, Victoria would be tore apart, atom by atom.   
The controls panels all only had one function; one panel could not do the work of another. The panel to the   
right of the doors made the energy intensify and separate, creating a gap to jump through and made the traveler get   
pulled into the hole. The traveler then had to keep hold of the sides of the platform or get pulled apart.  
The controls at the back on the left side determined position, where the destination was so the traveler wouldn't   
just float in Chaos forever.  
The controls on the right side pushed the traveler to the destination because if the traveler just jumped in, they   
would be pulled into the energy and get ripped apart rather painfully.  
They were ready at the panels, William at the front right, Hannah at the back left and Rezo at the back right,   
or at the platform, Victoria, who was holding on for her dear death.  
"Start, William."  
William pushed the buttons in the right order and pressure, but before he was finished, Victoria called over   
the loud crackling, "Start, Hannah."  
Hannah worked furiously to put in the right coordinates in the right order. Before she finished, Victoria screamed,   
"Rezo, start it now!"  
Rezo worked quickly to finish. Electricity ran through Victoria's hair. She struggled to remain standing and   
crawled to stand on the edge of the hollow circle, ready to jump.  
"Done!"  
"Finished!"  
"Completed!"  
"Everyone, push the clear button! 1, 2, 3! Now!"  
The only button that was on all the panels was a clear button which made the traveling process begin. All of them   
had to press at the same time that the traveler jumped. When Victoria said, "Now" she flew in the air and everyone pushed   
the button. She was sucked in the tunnel of energy and vanished.  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's Notes: This is getting so easy now! We're near the end and I hope you're excited because I sure am and I know   
what's going to happen already! Tell me what you thought at destinyplot@lycos.com! See you next time!  



	17. Guilt

Chapter Seventeen: Guilt  
  
This was not some joyful romp through the forest. They were not heading towards some lovely open valley where   
little butterflies and fairies dance around singing their little cheerful songs to have a lovely picnic. Cerberus was   
flying at top speed, caring little if Zel could hold on or not. Cerberus had other more important things to do than to   
cart around the little Zelgadis, who was screaming at the top of his lungs.  
"Screaming at me is NOT going to help you!" The left head turned around and shouted at him, "I don't want to do   
this either. I'd rather be doing something more productive but neither life nor death is fair!"  
"#Where are we going?#" Zel whimpered.  
"Didn't I already tell you?!"  
"#I do not know!#"  
"We're going to the River of Guilt which encircles the Temple of the Death Angels. You must cross it to get to the   
Temple!"  
"#Why do I have to go to the Temple in the first place?#"  
"I don't know! But Ursula told me to bring you there and that's where you're going! Now shut up!"  
"#Who is Ursula?#"  
"I SAID 'SHUT UP'!"  
The trees were just a gray blur. Not a green blur, like nice, happy trees where little birds fly but dark, gray blur   
of trees that are forever chilled and drooping. The lower branches whipped at Zel's face and the dry, decaying leaves   
scratched him.  
Eventually, the trees parted and Cerberus stopped in front of a green-brown river. The area smelled like old   
vomit and feces. Zel retched.  
"#This is disgusting!#" Zel cried, covering his mouth to block the smell. It didn't help.  
The middle head took a big breath, "Ah! I love that smell!"   
The right head nodded, "Nothing better."  
The grass around the river was brown and very, very dead. It crackled when Cerberus walked on it. The left head   
noticed Zel's disgust and said, "It's the grass that makes most of the smell, if that makes you feel any better."  
"#It does not!#"  
Zel looked at the structure in the distance. It could only be vaguely seen, since it was shrouded in fog. The   
structure seemed massive with many steps leading up to tall double doors, which appeared shut.  
"#Is that the Temple?#"  
"Yes, that is the Great Mead Temple of the Death Angels. You are the first human to stand at its borders for   
over two hundred years."  
"#That is a really long time.#"  
"Yes, it is. It could have stayed isolated for longer, in my opinion, but no one ever listens to me."  
"#I am sorry.#"  
"It's not your fault. Anyway, I got other more important things to do so, I leave you here!" The left head   
commanded while the middle head reached over and grabbed Zel by the collar. The middle head swung and threw him into the   
murky water. Zel hit the water with a plop (since the water was so thick) and it went up to his neck. Cerberus, seeing   
that its work was done, immediately turned back to the gray forest and fled.  
Cerberus had been right about one thing: The water wasn't producing most of the smell. It didn't smell great   
but it smelled a lot better. The problem was Cerberus left something out. There was a reason why the water was so   
thick, murky and such a strange color.  
Zel was surrounded by decaying bodies. They were not zombies. Zombies have no purpose, they just exist and are   
mostly annoying. These undead figures had a purpose. To make whoever got in their path suffer. A lot.  
"#Nice dead bodies. Niiiice dead bodies!#" Zel tried to swim out but the water was so thick with the undead   
protectors, he didn't have an opening to shore. And as the song goes, the river is wide and it's too hard to cross.  
Of course, the undead noticed his presence and turned towards him. They waded in the direction of the little boy   
as bits of yellow decaying flesh flicked off and floated downstream. Their matted and stringy hair had bits are other   
corpses in it. Their eyes were gone, in the sockets was glowing green fog. The nails on the bony hands had gone long   
and sharp in the murky depths of the river.  
The undead laughed eerily and moaned. Before his very eyes, the undead turned from the carcasses of strangers to   
the decayed bodies of people he either knew in life or from his dark nightmares. Mama, Papa, Granpapa Rezo, Eris, Auntie   
Veronica, Jer, Malcolm, Lady, Big Guy, Red, and even those two guys he just saved from being ghosts, everyone was   
represented in the gruesome mob. One of the undead grabbed his hair and dunked him under. A murder flashed through his   
mind. A murder he committed.  
  
*** ***  
  
Lina Inverse lay against the tree, coughing.   
"You're supposed to," she coughed, "take it easy on girls."  
Zel was outside himself, watching the chimera self answer, "Oh well!"   
He then picked her up like a rag doll and she screamed as he bashed her skull against a nearby jagged   
rock until her head was a bloody mass.  
  
*** ***  
  
Zel tried to beat his way to the surface and he managed to take a breath on the stagnant air but another undead   
pushed him under and he saw another crime.  
  
*** ***  
  
"... for the cause of Justice!" Amelia was finishing another Justice speech in a nameless inn. The chimera Zel   
slammed his hand against the wooden table. The little Zel watched himself in horror, wondering what was wrong.  
"You know, I'm really sick of your happy, bubbly attitude! This is the LAST straw!" With that, Zel pulled out   
his sword and chopped the unsuspecting Amelia's head off.   
And he didn't stop there. He chopped the Princess' body in little pieces and sprinkled the bits on to his garden   
salad like bacon bits. Then, he used the blood as a gruesome steak sauce. He took a bite, "Hm, it's good! Try some!"  
  
*** ***   
  
"#AAAAAA! Get me out of here!#" Zel screamed as he reached the surface but the undead attacked him with their   
claws and beat him down.  
  
*** ***  
  
"So, you've NEVER done it?" Gourry asked in the bath house.  
"No, never. Why, have you?" Zel asked, getting fed up with this conversation.  
"Duh! Of course! I've had," Gourry counted on his fingers. He ran out of fingers, "Well, more than ten girls.   
You must be a real freak if you haven't done AT ALL!" Gourry laughed.  
Zel fumed, "How dare he question my manhood!" He "accidentally" dropped the soap.   
"Hey, Gourry, could you pick the soap for me? It's closer to you."  
Gourry tried to stop laughing to say, "Huh? Where is it?"  
Zel pointed vaguely, "There. I think."  
Gourry looked for the soap, "Are you sure it's near me?"  
"Oh, very sure. You might've moved it while you were laughing."  
Gourry bent towards the water, his nose brushing the water line.   
As Gourry searched, Zel cupped his hand around Gourry's head. Gourry felt it, "Zel? Why are you touching my   
head?"  
"Look! It's right there!" Zel screamed as he pushed Gourry's head under the water.  
  
*** ***  
  
Zel managed to fly his way out of the water and he screamed, "#I killed all those people! I killed them!#" The   
crowd bit at him and tried to drown him again. They clawed at his clothes and arms. One undead managed to drag him   
under again.  
  
*** ***  
  
"You've served your purpose! Time to die!" Zel shot a red beam of energy at Eris. Blood exploded all over the   
marble floor of Rezo's laboratory. She fell, limp and nearly lifeless. She fell to the ground with a soft thud.   
She reached out her hand towards Zel, "But... why?" The blood poured out, undaunted, forming a deadly cape underneath  
her.  
"You're just a liability now!" Zel laughed as he realized his triumph and Eris' despair.  
He readied the spell that would wipe every trace of her existence...  
  
*** ***  
  
Zel crawled his way up but the bodies fell upon him, suffocating him with their ungodly stench.  
"Do not fear, Little One!" A woman's voice inside his head soothed him. Zel looked around but could not see the   
source of the voice.  
"#Who are you?!#"  
"It matters little who I am," the voice answered, "I realize now that you need my help, and thus I'm giving to   
you."  
"#Okay! Whatever! Just help me!#"  
"Do not struggle against the bodies. Push through them. Do not think of them pushing against you. They will drown   
you if you do not try to get to the other shore! The images you see are false. You have killed no one! Run! Fly with all   
your might!" The voice left him and he was alone again.   
Zel used all his remaining strength to push his way out of the creatures' grasp. As he swam through the murky water,   
the undead pulled at him, sometimes dragging him under where he would again see his unspeakable crimes. Again and again   
he would push his way out of the depths and slowly swim towards shore.  
The decayed creatures began to howl and moan and began to resort to violent measures. They clawed at him with no   
mercy, letting his young blood flow into the water. They bit at him and left marks of their attack. But he continued to   
push himself away but the undead followed, screaming. One jumped on top of him with full force. Zel ripped the decayed   
man's arm off and the slime that served for its blood spewed all over him.   
Finally, the shore was in sight and he touched the brittle grass but the creatures tore at his clothes and   
ripped off chunks of his skin and he felt faint from the loss of blood. He tore at the shore but again and again, he   
slipped because of the slime of the corpses.  
The undead howled and screeched and toppled on top of him. He knew he was going to die, in this river and be   
reborn as one of these decayed things for the rest of eternity. He managed to push the top of his head above water   
and he could faintly hear Lady call his name.  
He was not going to drown Lady, Red and Big Guy as well. He wouldn't be able to bear it. In a burst of new-  
found energy, he threw the bodies off him and crawled his way up to shore. He was on dry land.  
The grass smelled like regular dead grass which was comforting but he probably smelled like...  
He examined himself. He was dry as well. He was also very clean when he should've been covered in slime. He had   
suddenly regained all the flesh that had been ripped off his bones.  
The three adults were retching at the smell of the grass on the other side, Zel called out to them, "#It is   
just the grass! You have to cross the river! You just to run really fast or the undead things in there will get you and   
drag you under and make you see terrible things!#"  
Lady translated for the other two and all looked evasive. But all got up and readied themselves for a long,   
hard run.  
Big Guy jumped in first and the undead tripped him as he began to run and he fell under. He jumped up, screaming   
as the undead tore at him. He was covered in slime and gore from his own body but he kept running while the decayed   
forms hung on to him.   
The girls screamed as they saw Gourry's state but jumped in as well and were also dragged under. Lady and Red   
had a harder time getting up again and the undead did much more damage to them. The girls fell under many more times   
that Big Guy and their blood ran like a fountain.  
Big Guy fell under once again near the shore as the undead bit at him but his hand got a hold of the shore and   
pulled his body up. The undead on him screeched as they were pulled along with him. They increased their clawing and   
biting. It was futile because when Big Guy got his upper chest on land, they could do no more in that area and had to   
work on his legs. That's when he swung his right leg on land and the undead had to abandon their victim. Big Guy crawled   
on the shore and lay there, panting.  
"I... never... want to... do that... ever... again!"  
The girls were still struggling with their captors. Half of Lady's hair was gone from her scalp and Red's face   
was a bloody mask from all the scratches. They were lucky, however, because when they fell, their arms were already on   
land. Big Guy, with Zel's help, pulled the arms up. The blood and slime burned their hands painfully and the   
screeching nearly made their ears bleed. The girls managed to get pulled on shore and they were as good as new. The   
burns, as soon as they let go, were magically healed.  
The girls lay there panting. Big Guy looked down on Red, "Are you okay?"  
"Of course I'm not! I have just been mauled by a bunch dead people! They looked like my friends and family, whether   
they were dead or not! I am NOT okay!"  
"I was just asking, Lina," Big Guy muttered.  
"Why are we all clean now? I KNOW I was covered in blood and slime just before," Lady asked, tilting her head.  
"Probably an effect of the river itself," Red shrugged, "I personally don't care why I'm all nice and clean, just   
that I am. Where's that temple?"  
"Right there," Big Guy pointed. Not more than ten yards from where they sat loomed the Great Temple of the Death   
Angels located on the secluded island of Mead.  
Red did a double take, "What the...? It wasn't that close before! It should be miles away! How did it get so   
close?!"  
"Maybe the fog's purpose to make the Temple looked farther away to discourage travelers," Lady suggested.  
"Isn't the River of Guilt enough?!" Big Guy asked.  
"It doesn't matter now," Red interrupted, standing up suddenly, "Come on, you guys! Time to put Zelgadis back   
together!"  
The group of four headed towards the forbidden Temple of the Death Angels.  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry for the bloody bits. I have been reading a LOT of Greek Mythology (I have to for required   
reading for English Honors 10. I really hate Edith Hamilton right now) and it's been affecting my brain. What is up with   
the Greek obsession with cutting up children and serving them up to the gods or fathers? It beats me. Anyway, if   
you're not completely disgusted with me, the story is soon drawing to a close and I'll have it written soon since I   
know what I want to do and I don't think it's going to be as bloody. But in the meantime, I would really like C&C at   
destinyplot@lycos.com, even flames are welcome but make sure you don't use ALL CAPS or spel thigs wrog, I mean, spell   
things wrong, because you want to prove you're smarter than me, right? See you soon (I hope)!   
  
  
  
  
  



	18. Child

Chapter Eighteen: Child  
  
The Temple had a hundred large steps leading up to golden double doors which stood twelve feet high.  
"Wow! It's bigger up close," Gourry said in awe.  
Lina tapped her foot, "You can open it anytime you want, Gourry."  
"Oh. Sorry. It's just so big," Gourry went over to the Temple doors.  
"Whoopie. It's a big building surrounded by a river of smelly dead people with icky puke-scented grass. Can we move   
along, please?!" Lina crossed her arms.  
"There's no doorknobs."  
"Then push them, you big wimp! What kind of swordsman are you?"  
Gourry pushed with all his might, "They won't budge."  
"'They won't budge,'" Lina mimicked, "That's why you keep pushing!"  
"Lina, these doors will not move no matter how long I push at them."  
"Oh! I'll push them!" Lina walked over, roughly pushed Gourry aside (nearly knocking him off the platform and to   
his untimely demise) and pushed. And pushed. And pushed.   
"They won't move, will they, Lina?" Gourry mocked, "You just wouldn't believe me."  
"Oh, SHUT UP! Man, what's wrong with these doors!" Lina yelled, with a good, swift kick to the doors, which were as   
hard as Zel's chimerical body, "OW!"  
"I'll try," Amelia suggested and she went over to the doors. It felt like pushing a stone wall; they would never   
move no matter how hard any of them pushed.  
"Why don't we all try it at the same time?" Lina proposed. They all pushed at the doors, which remained shut.   
"AAA! What is up with these doors! Open! Open, open, open!" Lina hopped up and down.  
"Lina, calm down. We'll get in somehow," Gourry leaned against the wall surrounding the doors.  
Zel looked up at the doors and went up to tap at it. It swung open.  
"Hey, Zel opened the doors. Good job," Gourry patted Zel on the head.  
"Only because we loosened the doors up," Lina mumbled.  
Gourry and Amelia went in first with Zel and Lina tagging behind. Amelia let out a scream of terror. Zel and   
Lina ran in to see what had happened.  
The inside of the Temple was round and small. In the center was an uninteresting altar which was clean of blood   
stains or nicks. The room was lit by some unknown force, not candles or lanterns in sight, and the gray stone looked drab   
and weary.  
Of course, Amelia was not terribly frightened by dreary altars nor humdrum walls. On the walls were two figures hung   
up by wires. The wires went up into what seemed like a trap doors for the room above. Apparently, Amelia's presence had   
disturbed the traps and launched the figures down.   
On Amelia's left side was Zelgadis as he appeared to them. His skin was stone and rocks framed his eyes,   
cheekbones and chin. He was wearing practically nothing, only a strip of beige cloth to preserve his dignity. His   
eyes were open but they were glazed over. If he was alive, he certainty would be the last to know.  
Behind the altar, right in front of Amelia, was another human-like Zelgadis, only it had great speckled wings. The   
wings were open and the one wing was as long as both of Gourry's arms. Feathers from the wings fluttered about the   
chamber, caused by, most likely, the body's drop from the trap door above. The winged Zelgadis also wore next to   
nothing, only had a loincloth to keep his manhood safe from prying eyes. The eyes were also glazed over and he appeared   
quite dead. If he wasn't, he kept staring at Amelia and she didn't like that at all.  
"He's staring at me!" Amelia hid behind Gourry's bulk.  
"I doubt he's staring at anything. I wish it'd blink though. It's starting to creep me out as well," He turned to   
Lina behind him, "You think he's dead?"  
"Most likely but where did it come from?"  
Amelia answered, "The trap door. They came swooping down when I walked in!"  
"I didn't mean that! I meant, how did they get in the trap doors in the first place?"  
"So, are they puppets or something like those dolls at that guy's house that we went to with Xellos?" Gourry asked.  
"You mean, where we all nearly got turned into dolls? Maybe. They're not doing anything, if they can do anything.   
I mean, they're hung up with wires," Lina sighed, "Personally, they look better inanimate to me. Probably just   
here to scare us." Lina stretched, "Let's go out and see if there's a back way in... huh?"  
There was suddenly no door where there once were doors. "Where's the doors go?!" Lina demanded, pounding at the   
solid wall.  
"We're trapped inside!" Amelia cried, pounding at the wall as well.  
Gourry took their shoulders and walked them away from the wall to the altar, "Guys, calm down. There   
must be a way to another room. Look at this place, it's much too small for such a large building and obviously, there's a   
second floor because the puppet Zels' wires have to come from somewhere. So, we need to calm down and let Lina   
think."  
"Wait a minute! Why do _I_ have to think of something?!"  
"Because I haven't a clue either!" Gourry rubbed the back of his neck.  
"Great, you're a big help, Gourry," Lina whispered to herself.   
Zel looked at the chimera Zel, "#Who is that?#"  
Amelia walked over, trying not to notice the chimera's perpetual stare, "That's you when we first met you."  
"#Why do I look so funny?#"  
"Your skin is made of stone. You spend all your energy looking for a cure for your condition. It makes you very   
sad."  
"#No kidding. I should be sad. It is really icky looking.#"  
"That's not very nice to say about yourself!"  
"What are you two talking about," Lina asked, sitting beside the altar base.  
"I was explaining why Mister Zelgadis looks like that and he just insulted himself. I think he looks fine, Master   
Zelgadis, so you better apologize to yourself. Wait, that sounded really weird."  
"I got an idea!" Lina slammed her fist into her palm, "the trap doors must go somewhere, right? So, we can climb   
on to the altar and climb up to the second floor through the doors."  
"That could work," Gourry said, looking up through the doors.   
"You mean, we have to crawl over the Mister Zelgadises?"  
"Yeah, you big baby. They're not going to bite you and it's the only plan I've got!" Lina grabbed Amelia's hand and   
wrapped her other arm around Zel's waist. Gourry tested the altar to see if it could hold at least his weight. It   
supported him and he helped the others up. Lina put down Zel. Before they could figure out escape routes, they heard   
a blast of air below them. The top of the altar lifted up, heading towards the rock ceiling.  
"Oh no! It'll squish us to death!" Lina held up her hands to make the top not bash her head in immediately.   
"Please, don't let this top kill us!" Amelia prayed.   
She got her wish. The top stopped before Gourry's head could be smashed to itty-bitty pieces but it also dissolved   
under them. They fell into the hole provided by the altar and into the darkness.  
  
*** ***  
  
No one could clearly recall how far or how long they fell but eventually they reached the bottom of what appeared   
to be a giant well. The water reached only Zel's hips and was tepid. They surprisingly didn't break any bones or even   
bruise themselves even though they had fallen at a dangerous speed.  
Before they could investigate their new surroundings, the wall pulled at the Adults of the groups. They were like   
nails to a super magnet. The force lifted them up out of the water and on to the wall. They could not even wriggle, only   
their heads remained free for movement. Zel remained in his spot, untouched.  
"What is going on?!" Lina demanded. A woman laughed. "Who was that? Show yourself!"  
"Okay, I will," The woman materialized. It was the blonde woman at the inn. She had no wings but her green eyes   
betrayed her in an instant. Her white dress showed no seams, it simply existed. The water did not even touch the dress'   
hem, although it was submerged.  
"Who are you? What do you want?"  
The woman laughed again, "Nothing now. You already given me what I wanted. My dear Prince, Zelgadis." She bent   
down to his height, "And how are you, my darling?"  
"I want to go home."  
"Hey!" Gourry tried to point but couldn't and gave up, "I can understand him!"  
Lina nodded, "Me too! But how?"  
"This chamber translates his tongue for your unworthy ears to comprehend," The woman answered and turned back to   
Zel, "You say you want to go home, my sweet?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, I can not return you to that sty you call Millay but I can deliver you to my home. Would you like that?"  
"No."  
The woman shot straight up in shock. This was clearly not the answer she was expecting, "What do you mean 'no'?"  
"I want my mama and papa! I want my family!"  
"But I am your family..." she started.  
"No, you are not. You are some strange woman in a creepy building."  
"Zelgadis, your words wound me in my very heart. I am your aunt, on your mother's side. My name is Ursula, I'm   
your mother's eldest sister."  
"I have never heard of you."  
"Well, we didn't get along very well..."  
"Why not?"  
"Well, sisters never get along very well as a rule..."  
"That is a very stupid rule."  
Ursula was obviously very annoyed at Zel's questions, "Goddess of Death, what is up with this child? He shouldn't   
be resisting like this!" She thought.  
"Did you do this to me?"  
The question took her aback, "What do you mean, my precious?"  
"Why are there other mes up in that the small chamber? Where did they come from?"  
"No harm in telling him the truth," Ursula thought. She answered, "Yes, I did do that but I only did it because you   
were unhappy, Zelgadis," She moved towards him, he moved away from her, "You don't know what you were like before.   
You were miserable, searching for a cure that didn't exist. No home, no family, no future. I had to save you from that   
life. It was my DUTY as your aunt to save you from yourself. You were about to take your own life when I arrived. What a   
waste of someone so full of promise. I had to do it because I love you." Okay, she embellished herself a little but that   
wasn't important.  
"You say you changed me to save me, right?"  
"Of course!" Now he was acting more to her liking.  
"Then why did you go through all the trouble of splitting me up, locking the other bits in a Temple and   
making me come here when you could have just taken me to your home?"   
"But then you have had all those terrible memories!" Actually, the real reason was Rezo had tampered too much   
with Zel's body which made him unacceptable as one of them but that was besides the point. No reason for him to know all   
that.  
"You are lying! You are an evil person! I am not going with you anywhere!" Zel screamed and clutched at the wall.   
Ursula howled in rage, "You wicked child!" Ursula then struck him across his face. He was knocked unconscious.   
Ursula would have taken Zel right then and there but she felt an unexpected ripple. "What was that?"  
  
*** ***  
  
Zel stood in a place he secretly called, "Swirly Blue Mist Place". In front of him was the chimera Zelgadis   
sitting with his heads and arms crossed over his knees. Behind the sitting Zel was a human Zel with speckled wings   
looking decidedly bored.  
"Where am I?" Little Zel asked the other Zels.  
The winged Zel replied in a monotone voice, "In the space between each side of Zelgadis Greywords. The line   
between Angel, Chimera and Human; Adult and Child; Real and Nonexistent..."  
"I think he gets it," The chimera interrupted. He put his arms behind him, from there, they supported him.  
"How did I get here?"  
"You were knocked out," the chimera replied.  
"What are we going to do?" Little Zel asked the party. They shrugged, "We have to do SOMETHING!"  
"Not necessarily," The Angel replied in that same monotone voice.  
"Yes, we do! What's wrong with you people?"  
"Why not just let her take you? I was going nowhere anyway," The chimera sighed.  
"We can't give up on myself! Or ourselves. Or ourself. Whatever! Anyway, we can't give up!" Little Zel commanded.  
Chimera Zel leaned forward towards Little Zel and clapped his hands, "Good speech, Robin Hood. There's nothing   
to be done. There is nothing out there for us or me or whatever," the chimera stood up.  
"But Mama and Papa would be really upset."  
"Mother and Father left us without a thought! I am not doing them any favors!" Then Little Zel pushed Chimera Zel   
off his feet.  
He climbed on to his chest and screamed in his face, "NO! They did not leave you without a thought! They loved us   
no matter what happened! That's why they'll be sad because two-thirds of me is gone and I'm not Zelgadis without you   
two!" Little Zel got off Chimera Zel and stood up proudly, "And you say you have nothing but you do! You have friends!   
You're not dead yet and you're still young enough to start a new life! And who says there's no cure?! Of course there is,   
you just have to look for it!" Little Zel's face was turning red from the excursion.  
"It's not just that," Chimera Zel started, "I hurt! I don't want to go on anymore! I'm tired!"  
"There's always tomorrow! Don't you understand? You've have good times too if you try to remember them once in a   
while! It's always darkest before the dawn, you just have to wait out the darkness for a little longer! Good people   
always win in the end, always!"  
"Besides," the Angel Zel cut in, "there is no guarantee that wherever Ursula is taking us is any good for us."  
"Exactly. What will become of Zelgadis Greywords? We won't exist anymore! Everything we have earned will turn to   
dust! Our life will be meaningless!" Little Zel added, "We have to fight back. It's the only chance you'll get your   
happiness back."  
The chimera's eyes shone with renewed hope but quickly dimmed, "But how will we stop her?"  
"We have to fight her together like we always have!"  
  
*** ***  
  
Time in the subconscious world moves at a different pace than the real world and Ursula had barely finished her   
sentence before the Zels agreed on fighting back.  
The Temple rumbled and Ursula fell down into the water that refused to soak her dress. Zel glowed and reached his   
arms up to heaven. They could hear wires snapping and with a mighty swoop, the two "puppets" flew down and merged with   
Zelgadis.  
The full-grown, glowing Zelgadis' blue eyes opened and an inner light of defiance shone through them like the sun.   
The energy crackled the water and lightly shocked Ursula's flesh.  
"How? HOW?" Ursula screamed in terror but then smiled, "Well, now you're useless to me. I can now kill you since   
you obviously not going to be a very good candidate for Princehood. So much like your father you are!" She stood up   
and laughed wholeheartedly, "I'll give you the first blow. I am not afraid of you! There is nothing you can do!"  
Zel's voice echoed through the extent of the area.  
"Source of all souls which dwell in eternal and   
infinite.   
Everlasting flame of blue..."  
"The Ra-Tilt?! You need to do better than that!" Ursula laughed but stopped when the echo had a woman's voice,  
"Everlasting flame of blue..."  
"NO! Not you! How can you be here? You're dead!"  
In unison, the voices finished the spell,   
"... let the power hidden in my soul   
be called forth from the Infinite  
...RA-TILT!"   
Over Ursula's screaming, the woman's voice continued to respond, "Yes, you are quite right. He resembles his father   
very much!"  
The Temple rumbled and shook violently. Ursula dissolved before their eyes. Before they had time to   
comment, Lina, Gourry and Amelia were released from the wall and a gate opened, flushing them and the water all out.   
Zelgadis fainted as the gate opened but arms shot out from the wall and caught him, "I have you, my love." The arms   
dragged him through the wall and disappeared.  
  
*** ***  
  
When Gourry gained consciousness, he was holding Lina in his arms and floating down a river. He was relieved to   
notice that there were no undead people in the water. He reached his hand down into the water and realized that he   
could stop and not drown himself. He flipped to a sitting position and grabbed Amelia, who was floating past him. He   
knocked on Lina's head until she mumbled, "What are you doing, Jellyfish?"  
"Knocking you on the head to make you wake up." Lina opened her eyes and yelped when she realized he was holding   
her. She jumped out of his arms and into the river.  
"AAA! It's cold!"  
"I was about to warn you but you didn't give me a chance." Gourry answered while Amelia murmured, "What's   
going on?"  
"We're in a river and it's cold!" Lina screeched, "AND my pants are ruined! The pants make the whole costume work!   
What am I going to do?"  
Amelia opened her eyes and saw she was being held by the waist by Gourry, "You can put me down now."  
"Okay," Gourry promptly dropped her into the water with a big splash which also soaked Gourry, "Oops."  
"It's cold! And where's Mister Zelgadis?"  
"Right here."  
They all turned towards the direction of the voice. A purple-haired woman with big blue eyes was stroking an   
unconscious Zelgadis' hair. She smiled, "Do you realize how stupid you look?"  
Lina stood up, water running down her "ruined" pants, and shook a fist at her, "Look! I have had enough with you   
creepy women that never seem to get wet! What do you all want with Zel?"  
"Hey! Weren't you the screaming lady in the mirror?!" Gourry shouted excitedly, "Ha! I remembered something,   
Lina!"  
"This is a red-letter day. I'll mark it down when I find a calendar. But, that's not the point!" Lina continued,   
"Who are you?"  
"I am Victoria Greywords."  
Crickets chirped nearby. The wind rustled through the trees.  
"Zelgadis' mother," Victoria added.  
"OOHH!" The group said.  
"Was Miss Ursula really your sister?" Amelia asked, marching out of the water and shaking off the excess water   
from the outside of her boots. The other two followed and did similar actions.  
"Yes and no. I was adopted so she is not my birth sister but she was my sister in my adopted family."  
As she spoke, a hand materialized behind her.  
"Victoria, look out!" Lina said but it was too late, the hand grabbed Victoria's neck and the hand's owner was   
revealed. It was Ursula, back from the dead.  
"She's still alive!" Amelia shrieked.  
"You fool! You thought a Double Ra-Tilt would kill me?!" She rasped, looking like hell.  
"No, actually, I didn't. It slowed you down though," she smiled.  
"Yeah, it did," Ursula agreed quietly but added louder, "But it won't work a second time! You and your bastard   
prince will suffer for what you..."  
"Excuse me?" A monotone voice from behind asked. Ursula spun around, "Yes, Aurelia, what is it?"  
"I told the Representatives what you had been doing here. They asked, I told, simple as that. You and Zoe both   
knew Zelgadis was a closed case. He's mortal and that's that. He's not worth our time and energy. They sent me here   
to tell you to drop it," Aurelia shrugged.  
"You little...!"  
"I'm telling you. I offered no information to them, they asked me and it is a sin to lie to the Representatives.   
I'd hurry home."  
Ursula tore at her hair but she phased out.  
"That was a good line, Aurelia. Thank you," Victoria said.  
Aurelia looked blankly at her, "I wasn't lying. They really do know what they did. It was a mistake in the first   
place to tell me anything about their plans."  
Victoria's face scrunched up, "Um... how long did they know about this?"  
"A little before you begged for Ursula's mercy. I was sent to guide you to the Transportation Room."  
"You mean...?"  
"They know how you and your friends broke in? Yes. They actually made sure no one would be around to stop you. Good   
day to you, Victoria. Good day to your son's friends as well." She vanished in a puff of wind.  
"That was weird," Lina commented.  
"I must ask you a favor. Please, don't tell Zelgadis of what happened to him. He must never know!" Victoria lay   
Zelgadis on the healthy grass, "I will send you to Aca where you can get a boat home to Saillune or Hayla or wherever you   
want to go." With that, she clapped her hands and the groupvanished from the island of Mead.  
  
*** ***  
  
Zel saw sky. The sky rocked closer and farther away. He smelled sea water and shot up. He shouldn't be here. There   
was no possible explanation why he was in an inn one minute and on a ship another minute. He was placed beside a lean-to   
on the ship (probably containing the stairs leading to the bowels of the ship) and he could hear his friends talking.  
"I was about to kill myself just a minute ago. How did I get here?" Zel wondered, feeling a little disoriented.   
Gourry noticed him first and tapped the girls' shoulders. The girls' had a look of fear but Gourry just smiled and   
said, "Hey! You okay now?"  
"'Okay now'?" Zel asked, then thought, "Is he referring to my near-suicide?"  
"I meant, you know, 'with us' now?"  
"With you?"  
Gourry went to him, "You've been out for weeks! You fell into some sort of trance in the inn near Saillune. Your   
eyes were all fogged over and you just kept walking forward, no matter what was in the way," Gourry paused for   
confirmation from the girls. They nodded slowly, "And you kept repeating, 'Mead. Must go to Mead.' So when we figured   
out you meant the island Mead. You didn't sleep the entire time we traveled to get you there. When we got there, we   
didn't have any idea why you wanted to go to such a place but we figured your sub-conscious wanted something. So, we   
hung around with you for half a day while you circled the island. Then you said, 'All done' and fell down, asleep."  
"I don't remember any of this."  
"Well, anyway, we carried you to Aca and got you on a boat and now you're okay again!" Gourry sat down beside Zel.   
He cocked his head, "So, what's so special about Mead?"  
Zel shook his head, "Beats me."   
"Must have not been very important then," Gourry decided.  
  
The End  
  
Author's Notes: Wow! It's finally over! I spent an entire year working on this fic! Before I explain everything, I   
want to say some thank-yous.  
First, I thank the creator of Slayers (I am not going to attempt screwing up his name) for creating such a cool   
show!  
I also want to thank my Traditional Mailing List (linagourry list) for giving me feedback. I especially want   
to thank Pairaka for helping me out with Gourry's characterization.  
I really want to thank Naisumi for liking the entire thing and stressing "details, details, details!" I succeeded   
in making her feel ill during Chapter 17. And she was eating noodles!  
And, of course, all of you for reading this fic.  
Okay, you're asking, "Why does this fic exist?" It has many origins. Long ago, I started writing a fic called, "The   
Stone Branch" which purpose was to explain Zel's family. I dropped the fic (so don't bother hunting it out) but I used   
some of the ideas (Man in the Stone Mask came from Stone Branch as well).   
But "Inner Child" did not really come to life until I bought "Celtic Women II". There were songs in there that I   
felt related to Zel's past (or my perception of it.) One song especially called out to me. For some reason, I   
imagined a young Zel singing it.   
At first, I wanted to write a fic based on that one song but then I thought, "But how   
could I explain why this was going on?" So, I thought of Zel turning into a child. Then I asked, "But why?" To make a   
long story short, this monster of a fic was born. I started out thinking this would be six chapters, tops. I never   
imagined it would turn into the 18 chapter epic you just read.   
Never again will I get mad at authors for not updating their stories fast enough. Writing is hard!  
Yes, it ate my life, but now it's out there and I'm proud of it. Thank you for reading my fic. Tell me what you   
thought at destinyplot@lycos.com.  
  
See you later (but in a different fic)!  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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